Venezuelan opposition party says leader was murdered after being detained

The opposition party Voluntad Popular denounced on Friday that Edwin Santos, a local leader from the border state of Apure, was murdered after being detained by Venezuelan state security agencies.

The party added that Santos had been missing since Wednesday afternoon, when he was intercepted by security agency officials while traveling on his motorcycle.

“As of yesterday afternoon (Thursday) we have confirmation that he was at the headquarters of DGCIM (General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence) in Guasdualito” in Apure state, Voluntad Popular said in a statement on the social network X.

Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication and Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Voluntad Popular, Leopoldo López’s party, said that Santos had reported the collapse of the bridge that connects the border states of Apure and Táchira, and in that area he was found dead. He added that the politician participated in the organization of the July presidential elections.

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