Canadian Foreign Minister Freeland Says Appalled By Arrest Of Guaido's Associate Marrero

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement on Thursday she was shocked that Roberto Marrero, associate of Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido, was arrested by the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st March, 2019) Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement on Thursday she was shocked that Roberto Marrero, associate of Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido, was arrested by the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

"Appalled by the news that Guaido's Chief of Staff, Robert Marrero, has been illegally detained by the Maduro regime," Freeland said. "Intimidation and fear will not stop the return of democracy to Venezuela. Those responsible must be held accountable."

Earlier on Thursday, a source in the Caracas police told Sputnik that Venezuela's intelligence service SEBIN detained Guaido's close associates Roberto Marrero and Sergio Vergara.

The source explained that SABIN detained Marrero and Vergara at their homes in the El Cafetal neighborhood of the Baruta municipality.

However, the Venezuelan authorities released Vergara, but kept Marrero in custody, the source said.

On January 5, Guaido was elected to head the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.

On January 23, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself Venezuela's "interim president."

Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on January 10 after winning the May 2018 election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.

Canada, the United States and 53 other countries recognized Guaido as Venezuela's president. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other countries have voiced their support for Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.