Mariana González de Tudares, daughter of the elected president of Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia, publicly denounced the kidnapping of her husband, Rafael Tudares Bracho, at the hands of officials from the Venezuelan state security.
According to his testimony, on January 7th, Tudares was arbitrarily detained in front of his 6 and 7-year-old children, who witnessed the violent operation.
"Those officials were heavily armed, they took Rafael and took the car where he was with our children. My children were left out on the street," Mariana recounted in a video shared on social media.
Since the arrest, Mariana has gone through various detention centers and police stations in search of information about her husband's whereabouts, without receiving any response. "I don't know where he is, I don't know how he is, they won't let me see him or bring him his medications. I have no proof of life," she reported.
Mariana appealed to the authorities to release her husband on humanitarian grounds, insisting that her family is not involved in politics. "We do not engage in politics, we are not part of the political scene, and we have no influence whatsoever, although that may be hard for many to believe. We are just another hardworking Venezuelan family trying to raise our children with education and Christian values," she stated.
In her testimony, Tudares' wife expressed her desperation and fear for her family's safety, questioning whether her familial connection to the elected president is the reason for her husband's abduction. "Is it a crime to be someone's relative? Should I think that tomorrow they will take me and my children? Was it a mistake to stay in Venezuela? My children and I do not deserve to suffer through all of this," she stated.
The elected president, diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, reported the kidnapping of his son-in-law through the social network X, stating that Rafael was intercepted by hooded men dressed in black while taking his children to school in a golden truck with license plate AA54E2C.
González Urrutia, who is currently seeking international support to return to Venezuela to take possession of his position, which has been illegitimately usurped by the dictator Nicolás Maduro, has a packed schedule to coordinate efforts with several chancellors and former presidents in the region.
This incident occurs in a context of increasing political tension in Venezuela, with calls for massive mobilizations by the opposition and a progressive militarization by Maduro's regime, who faces uncertainty about his future following Donald Trump's inauguration this Monday in Washington.
Finally, Mariana delivered some heartfelt words to her husband: "Rafael, if for some reason you are watching me, I want you to know that you are not alone. Your children, Ignacio and Martina, are thinking of you and holding you in their hearts. I will never stop searching for you, and we will be together again."
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