Edgar Zambrano had been detained on charges of treason following a failure to seize control in April. His allies have said his liberation was a result of global pressure and not one of goodwill from President Maduro.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Delacroix
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Venezuela released key opposition figure Edgar Zambrano from jail on Tuesday, where he had been held since a failed uprising earlier this year.
A relieved and defiant Zambrano told journalists upon being set free: "I managed to escape from a situation that I hope all political prisoners manage to escape from. Politics took me to prison, and its politics that got me out."
The 64-year-old was the vice president of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly at the time of his detention on grounds of treason.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab confirmed Zambrano's freedom "following partial agreements reached by the Venezuelan government and sectors of the national opposition."
The release was welcomed by opposition politician Timoteo Zambrano (no relation to Edgar) on Twitter. He saw it as a turning point in Venezuelan politics: "The process of freeing political prisoners has begun. We celebrate the freedom of our colleague, the deputy Edgar Zambrano."
Zambrano had been held in the notorious military prison of Helicoide following his dramatic arrest by intelligence agents for supporting a failed uprising coordinated by opposition leader Juan Guaido.
The head of the Social-Democratic Popular Will Party led approximately 30 members of the armed forces in an attempt to oust President Nicolas Maduro, but while it resulted in two days of deadly confrontation, it ultimately proved to be unsuccessful.
Zambrano was one of 15 politicians detained in a subsequent crackdown. His arrest came as his vehicle was surrounded outside his Democratic Action Party's headquarters before it was towed away, with him still in it.
Popular pressure, not goodwill
Some may see his release as a sign of goodwill from President Maduro but opposition chief Guaido refuted such notions.
"The liberation of Zambrano and political prisoners is a victory of citizen and international pressure, not a 'kind gesture' from the dictatorship," he tweeted.
The lawmaker's release comes just one day after Maduro and fellow Venezuelan deputies announced they would return to the opposition-dominated National Assembly, which they walked out on three years ago.
Politicians from Maduro's government abandoned congress after losing control in elections, and they in turn set up their own, breakaway, assembly to sideline the opposition-controlled body.
Venezuelans find refuge, solidarity in Colombia
Colombia's Maicao is infamous for its drug and people smuggling, violence and sexual exploitation. Venezuelan refugees living on the streets are an easy target. But a UNHCR-run reception center is offering a way out.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Waiting in line
Venezuelan migrants wait in line to have their registration number and details checked before receiving their lunch. The UN's World Food Program serves food three times a day.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Hanging out to dry
Rows of tents provided by the UNCHR for the refugees line the reception center in Maicao, providing as much comfort as is possible in these circumstances.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Looking for a way out
The recently inaugurated reception center in Maicao in the La Guajira region — a collaboration between the UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency and the Colombian authorities — is the first of its kind in Colombia. Local and national government agencies called on the UNHCR for aid because of the steady influx of Venezuelan migrants and refugees crossing the border into Maicao.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Lack of purpose
Domingo Antonio Fernandez Lopez, a 72-year-old former journalist and professor, used to hear about and see refugees in the news, but never thought he would end up in a shelter as well. Having worked most of his life, he now feels useless. Every morning he gets up, waits to have breakfast, and waters the area near the entrance of his tent because the dust is affecting his lungs and eyes.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Hoping for a better life
Rusmari Luna Pereira brought a bracelet with her from Venezuela her mother made for her for the trip. She had to leave with her children because she couldn’t provide for them anymore. She said some people in Venezuela give their children to other families, others abandoned them on the streets. She said she found those stories hard to believe but now understands how desperate some of them are.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Dreaming of home
Rosmery Castillo left Venezuela a month ago with two of her children and left a third with her brother. She was a nurse in Valencia but her minimum wage was wiped out by high inflation, leaving her with almost nothing to buy food. She plans to return to Venezuela as soon as the situation improves to be with her mother and grandmother, who she had to leave behind.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Sharing the will to survive
Rosmery Castillo (34, left) and Vanesa Añez Añez (19) did not know each other when they both arrived at the UNHCR reception center at the same time. They were placed in a tent to share.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
A helping hand
A Colombian Red Cross clinic at the reception center caters to health issues the migrants and refugees may suffer from such as lung problems caused by the dust from the La Guajira Desert.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Solidarity and understanding
Xenophobia is always hovering in the background, but La Guajira has a historical connection with Maracaibo in Venezuela. Many people from La Guajira moved to Venezuela during the Colombian FARC conflict. There is solidarity among people of both sides. There are also many IDPs in Colombia, who understand what it is like for the Venezuelans to be in this predicament.
Image: DW/Eline van Nes
Taking the legal route
The official crossing between Colombia and Venezuela is marked by a few fences and soldiers standing guard. There is one official way to cross between Colombia and Venezuela, but some 150 illegal shortcuts, many of which end right in front of the official crossing.
