Manuel Rosales, an exiled Venezuelan opposition politician, has been
arrested upon his return from self-exile, six years after the government
of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez charged him with corruption in
2009.
Aljazeera reports:
He was expected to appear in a Caracas court later on
Friday. Rosales, who served two terms as governor of the most populous
state of Zulia, joins a list of opposition figures – including protest
leader Leopoldo Lopez – who have been jailed by the government of
President Nicolas Maduro.
Hundereds of supporters gathered at a rally on Thursday to support
him while the Intelligence agents took Rosales into custody after he
landed in Zulia’s capital Maracaibo. Upon landing back in Venezuela,
Rosales made a statement over returning home.
“Hello to all the people on [street] 72 from the airport, the streets
of Maracaibo, from Zulia, from all of Venezuela who are waiting for me
with love, passion in search of the better horizon of a better future
for Venezuela. I feel so excited that my heart is skipping a beat,” he
said. Rosales’ arrival and detention may help mobilise the opposition in
the run-up to the December 6 parliamentary elections, which opinion
polls show will be among the toughest ever for the ruling Socialist
Party and a test for Maduro.
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