Image copyright EPA Image caption Mr Zambrano's car was towed by Sebin agents with him inside

The deputy of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has been detained by the country's intelligence services.

Edgar Zambrano, vice-president of the National Assembly, refused to leave his car when approached, and as a result he and his car were towed to prison.

It is the first arrest of a senior opposition figure since attempts to spark a military rebellion against President Nicolás Maduro last week.

Mr Guaidó is recognised as "interim president" by more than 50 nations.

What happened?

Democratic Action party leader Carlos Prosperi told reporters that he had been at a party meeting with Mr Zambrano in the capital Caracas moments before the latter was arrested by agents from Venezuela's Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin).

"The vehicle was surrounded," he said. "They [Sebin agents] wouldn't allow us to get to him. They brought a tow truck and his vehicle was towed away."

Venezuelan online television channel VPI posted footage of the moment Mr Zambrano was towed on Twitter.

Mr Prosperi said that he believes Mr Zambrano was taken to El Helicoide, a notorious prison in the centre of the city.

"We don't know anything about what physical condition he's in and we don't know what is happening at El Helicoide at the moment," he said.

What's the background?

The arrest comes a day after Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered that Mr Zambrano and six other National Assembly deputies be charged with treason for their alleged participation in the failed military uprising.

Read more about Venezuela's crisis:

The court asked the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), a body convened by President Maduro and made up exclusively of his supporters, to lift the parliamentary immunity of the lawmakers, which the ANC promptly did.

Since then, three more opposition lawmakers have been charged and their immunity is expected to be lifted within days.

They are: Freddy Superlano of the Democratic Action party, Sergio Vergara and Juan Andrés Mejía, who both represent the Popular Will party.

What reaction has there been?

Mr Guaidó called Mr Zambrano's arrest - in particular the towing of his car - "absurd" in a tweet he posted shortly after the incident.

There was also swift reaction from the officials from the US, a country which has been one of the strongest supporters of Mr Guaidó.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Venezuela crisis: The four countries interested in the presidential battle

On the Twitter account of its "virtual" embassy in Caracas - the embassy closed in March amid growing tensions - the US called the detention "illegal and inexcusable" and warned that if he was not released immediately, there would be consequences. However, the tweet did not spell out what those consequences would be.

The EU said Mr Zambrano's arrest was "another fragrant violation" of Venezuela's constitution and described it as "a politically motivated action aimed at silencing the National Assembly".

Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru have also called for Mr Zambrano's release.

Meanwhile, the head of the National Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, boasted about the arrest on his TV show.

To the applause and loud cheers of government supporters, he mocked the lawmaker, saying that he would have to pay for the towing of his vehicle.

Earlier Mr Cabello called Mr Zambrano "one of the principal conspirators of the coup" and said that he and his "co-conspirators" would have to "pay before the courts for the failed coup that they have attempted".

How did it come to this?

Mr Guaidó declared himself Venezuela's acting leader in January. As the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, he invoked the constitution to assume as the position of interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate.

Since then, tension between those who support Mr Guaidó and those who back Mr Maduro has increased. The military is seen as holding the key to the balance of power.

On 30 April, in a video recorded near an air force base in Caracas, Mr Guaidó called on the military to help him oust President Maduro.

Mr Zambrano was one of the lawmakers seen in later footage talking to Mr Guaidó on a flyover near the air force base. Mr Cabello said that was "enough to prove his involvement".

While a small group of uniformed men joined Mr Guaidó, the top brass of the military quickly declared its loyalty to President Maduro and the status quo was maintained.

Mr Guaidó has since told the BBC he would consider asking the US to stage a military intervention.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó failed in a third attempt to oust Nicolás Maduro. What now? </s> Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has said authorities working on the orders of the Maduro regime have “kidnapped” the vice president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly.

“They are trying to break up the body that represents all Venezuelans, but they will not achieve it,” he tweeted.

Edgar Zambrano, the assembly vice president, said on Twitter that agents from the Sebin intelligence agency had surprised him and, after he refused to get out of his vehicle, were using a tow truck to take him to the Sebin’s Caracas headquarters.

“We Democrats will remain on war footing,” he said.

This is a developing news story, please check back for updates. </s> • Venezuelan intelligence agents arrested the vice president of the opposition-led national assembly on Wednesday.
• Authorities attempted to detain Edgar Zambrano as he drove out of the opposition party headquarters, but he refused to leave his car.
• His car was then towed directly into a Caracas prison with him still inside.
• The detention is part of a larger crackdown on opposition leaders who participated in last week’s failed military uprising.

Venezuelan authorities arrested the vice president of the opposition-led national assembly on Wednesday – the first detention of a major opposition figure since last week’s failed military uprising against President Nicolás Maduro.

Edgar Zambrano was leaving his party’s headquarters in Caracas when agents from the SEBIN intelligence agency stopped his car, the politician tweeted. After he refused to leave his vehicle, security forces towed him to the infamous Helicoide prison.

“We democrats will keep fighting,” he said on Twitter.

Zambrano was among the high profile leaders who joined an attempted revolt against the socialist government last Tuesday, The Associated Press reported. He went to the Caracas bridge where opposition leader Juan Guaidó was calling for military defections, and thanked the small group of rebel soldiers who had changed allegiances.

The protest failed to spark any large scale defections.

Read more: Protestors clash with the regime as the opposition struggles to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Maduro ally Diosdado Cabello confirmed on state television that Zambrano was arrested because of his involvement in the uprising.

“He was one of the principal bosses behind the coup,” Cabello said to loud applause. “The tow truck got him.”

Guaidó accused Maduro’s government of “kidnapping” his deputy, and undermining the people who voted opposition lawmakers into the national assembly. Guaidó and his supporters believe elections for other government bodies were rigged.

“With these actions, the usurpers want to affect the only democratic institution legitimized by the popular vote,” Guaidó tweeted.

The US State Department said Zambrano’s detention was “illegal and inexcusable.”

“If he is not freed immediately, there will be consequences,” the American embassy in Venezuela tweeted.

Wednesday’s arrest is part of a larger crackdown in response to the unsuccessful revolt.

The Constituent Assembly, stacked with Maduro loyalists, had already revoked parliamentary immunity from Zambrano and six other lawmakers so they could be prosecuted, The Guardian reported. The opposition does not recognize the decision.

The Maduro government also said it was investigating Zambrano and eight other opposition leaders for “betraying the homeland” and “instigating insurrection,” according to the AP.

Guaidó believes he hasn’t been arrested yet because Maduro fears retaliation.

“Because they’re scared. Those that try to spread or generate a perception of control are the ones that don’t have it,” Guaidó told CNN.

The US, Guaidó’s most important international backer, has already threatened military intervention in Venezuela if other avenues for Maduro’s removal do not succeed. </s> A Venezuelan opposition legislator has sought refuge in the Argentinian embassy in Caracas following the arrest of the National Assembly's vice president Edgar Zambrano.

An Argentine foreign ministry source told Reuters on Thursday that Richard Blanco of the Brave People's Alliance party was in the embassy as a guest.

Blanco was one of the ten opposition lawmakers who was stripped of parliamentary immunity by the Supreme Court this week. He appeared with opposition leader Juan Guaido in the rallies meant to stir a military uprising against President Nicolas Maduro last month.

Zambrano was arrested on Wednesday by intelligence agents who towed away his car with him inside. A tweet on his verified account said "we were surprised by intelligence agents who towed away our vehicle when we refused to leave it in order to transfer us to the Helicoide (a Venezuelan prison). We, democrats, remain on our feet to fight."

The vice president was among the deputies who had their immunity stripped.

Another opposition figure, Marianella Magallanes, who had her immunity removed sought refuge in the Italian embassy.

Guaido's chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, was arrested in March.

The Lima group, a regional bloc made up of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Canada, condemned the move to strip away immunity and to arrest Zambrano.

Even though Maduro hasn't arrested Guaido yet because of the potential strong backlash, he has tried to isolate the opposition leader by incarcerating key allies. </s> Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó's deputy has been detained by the country's intelligence services.

Edgar Zambrano, vice president of the National Assembly, refused to leave his car when approached, and as a result he and his car were towed to prison.

It is the first arrest of an opposition figure since attempts to spark a military rebellion against President Nicolás Maduro last week.

Mr Guaidó is recognised as "interim president" by more than 50 nations.

Democratic Action party leader Carlos Prosperi told reporters that he had been at a party meeting with Mr Zambrano in the capital Caracas moments before he was arrested by agents from Venezuela's Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin).

"The vehicle was surrounded," he said. "They [Sebin agents] wouldn't allow us to get to him. They brought a tow truck and his vehicle was towed away."

He added that they believe he was taken to El Helicoide, a notorious prison in the centre of the city.

"We don't know anything about what physical condition he's in and we don't know what is happening at El Helicoide at the moment," Mr Prosperi said.

Mr Guaidó also tweeted about the arrest, calling Mr Zambrano's arrest - in particular, the towing of his car - "absurd".

The arrest comes one day after Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered that Mr Zambrano and six other National Assembly deputies be charged with treason for their alleged participation in the failed military uprising.

"One of the principal conspirators of the coup has just been arrested," Diosdado Cabello, head of the pro-Maduro Constituent Assembly, told state TV. "They will have to pay before the courts for the failed coup that they have attempted."

What has happened since last week's clashes?

On 1 May, both pro and anti-government supporters held demonstrations in Caracas which were initially peaceful.

But there were soon reports of gunfire in the city, and a local NGO, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, said Jurubith Rausseo, 27, had been shot dead during a rally in the opposition stronghold of Altamira.

On Tuesday, Mr Guaidó declared what he called the "final phase" of the operation to topple Mr Maduro. He posted a video of him with a number of men in uniform and said he had the support of "brave soldiers" in Caracas.

He urged Venezuelans to join them on the streets, and appeared alongside another opposition leader, Leopoldo López, who had been under house arrest after being found guilty of inciting violence during protests in 2014.

Four people died in the clashes, including two teenagers, and another 46 people were injured.

Mr Guaidó declared himself Venezuela's interim leader in January. As the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, he invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate.

The opposition leader, who is president of the National Assembly, has the support of more than 50 countries, including the US, UK and most Latin American nations.

On Sunday, he told the BBC that he would consider asking the US to stage a military intervention.

But Mr Maduro - who is backed by Russia, China and the leaders of Venezuela's military - has refused to cede power. </s> Senior Opposition Leader Allied With Guaidó Is Arrested In Venezuela

The vice president of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly was arrested by intelligence agents Wednesday night in Caracas. The U.S. government warns that there will be consequences if he isn't released.

Edgar Zambrano was in his car when he was surrounded by SEBIN intelligence agents. When he refused to leave car, agents used a truck to tow it with Zambrano inside to the SEBIN headquarters. The incident was tweeted by Zambrano as it happened.

Neighbors watching shouted "Assassins!" as the agents towed him away, The Associated Press reports. The arrest came as President Nicolás Maduro was on live state television at the opening of an agricultural project.

Zambrano's detention is the first arrest of a lawmaker since the unsuccessful attempt last week by opposition leader Juan Guaidó to stage an uprising against Maduro's government. The government accuses Zambrano of being involved in that attempted uprising, NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

On state television, Diosdado Cabello, the head of the pro-Maduro Constituent Assembly, said that "one of the principal conspirators of the coup" had just been arrested. "They will have to pay before the courts for the failed coup that they attempted," he said, according to Reuters.

A day earlier, Constituent Assembly stripped Zambrano and six others of their parliamentary immunity – a move the opposition doesn't recognize, Reuters reports.

Guaidó tweeted that "the dictatorship has kidnapped" the assembly's vice president. "They've arrived at the absurd by towing his car with him inside, violating all the processes and displaying the authoritarianism to which they adhere."

Tensions are high after last week's attempted uprising failed to remove Maduro. So far, Maduro has held back from arresting Guaidó himself, as it would stir an international backlash. The U.S. quickly expressed its disapproval of Zambrano's arrest.

"The arbitrary detention of deputy @edgarzambranoad by the oppressive security forces of Maduro in Venezuela is illegal and inexcusable," The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela tweeted. "Maduro and his accomplices are directly responsible for Zambrano's safety. If he is not released immediately, there will be consequences."

The Constituent Assembly stripped Guaidó's immunity in early April. The U.S. recognizes Guaidó, the head of the National Assembly, as the country's legitimate interim leader, and the Trump administration has made clear that his arrest would mark a serious escalation. </s> The vice president of Venezuela’s opposition-run parliament was arrested by secret police in Caracas on Wednesday, the first arrest in an apparent crackdown on opposition leaders involved in a failed revolt against Nicolás Maduro last week.

Edgar Zambrano reportedly refused to get out of his car when it was approached by intelligence agents. The car was towed, with him inside, to Caracas’ notorious El Helicoide prison, the reports.

Zambrano was reportedly on the scene when opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who declared himself the interim president of Venezuela in January, called on the military to revolt against Maduro. Mass protests ensued with supporters from both sides taking to the streets, but a large scale military defection failed to materialize.

“Edgar Zambrano has been detained. He was one of the main [leaders] of the coup,” Maduro’s second-in-command, Diosdado Cabello, said on television, according to the

Guaidó said on Twitter that Zombrano had been “kidnapped.”

Opposition leaders and international officials also condemned the arrest.

“The arbitrary detention of First VP Edgar Zambrano by Maduro’s oppressive security forces in Venezuela is illegal and inexcusable,” tweeted Kimberly Breier, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department.

At least 10 National Assembly officials are facing prosecution for crimes ranging from treason to civil rebellion for participating in the uprising, reports the .

Venezuela has been locked in a political standoff since Guaidó, head of the National Assembly, declared himself the country’s interim president after Maduro, who was first elected President in 2013, was re-elected in 2018 in what many believe to be a sham election.

The U.S. and several other countries have recognized Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela. </s> US State Department head Mike Pompeo has suffered a public meltdown, reacting forcefully that the constitutional government of Venezuela actually arrested a key member of the upper house of parliament (AN) -Pompeo reached out to world media, announcing that the Venezuelan courts moves were an "Unacceptable and illegal step."Mike Pompeo denounced the detention by Venezuelan authorities of the now-former Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly, Edgar Zambrano. In a statement released last night, Pompeo describes as an "arbitrary" and "unacceptable and illegal act" the arrest of the politician, first vice president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, which took place this Wednesday night in Caracas, at the hands of SEBIN agents.Despite Pompeo's public tantrum, widely viewed as hypocritical,According to witnesses, bodies of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) arrived at the main headquarters of the Acción Democrática party, to which Zambrano belongs. The deputy was in his vehicle, who refused to step outside. It was then that SEBIN officials pulled the deputy's car with a crane, and in a raucous scene, he was arrested by SEBIN while in his car, taken by tow-truck. It should be noted that Diosdado Cabello confirmed the arrest of Zambrano on the same Wednesday night.- the legislative body in Venezuela comparable to the house of commons or the house of representatives - authorized legislation which the executive branch and courts approved, whichwhich were previously enjoyed by members of both houses.FRN reported yesterdayThe head of the National Assembly, the leader of the opposition, Juan Guaido , announced his arrest.Earlier, Guaido acknowledged the failure of the coup attempt, which he says occurred due to the refusal of the military to go over to the side of the self-proclaimed president.Likewise, the(AN), an instance that has been in contempt since 2016, for their participation in the coup attempt. Among them, the first vice president of the AN, Edgar Zambrano.The other seven opposition deputies, whose parliamentary immunity was raided are: Herry Ramos, Luis Florido, Richard Blanco, Marianela Magallanes, Américo De Grazia, Andres Velazques and José Calzadilla. </s> Venezuelan intelligence agents on Wednesday detained Edgar Zambrano, the deputy leader of the opposition-dominated National Assembly, for supporting an attempted uprising on April 30.

Zambrano, opposition leader and self-declared President Juan Guaido's deputy as National Assembly speaker, was detained by agents in Caracas for backing the failed April 30 military uprising against President Nicolas Maduro, which was orchestrated by Guaido.

"We warn the people of Venezuela and the international community: the regime has kidnapped the first vice president" of the National Assembly, Guaido wrote in a Twitter post. "They are trying to destroy the power representing all Venezuelans, but they will not achieve it."

The Constituent Assembly has said it would suspend the immunity of any lawmakers who backed the uprising, which sparked two days of clashes between security forces and protesters.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab says the clashes left six people dead. Dozens more were injured and more than 233 were arrested.

Read more: Venezuela: Coup or uprising? It depends on who you support

Watch video 05:22 Share Venezuela's Guaido calls for uprising Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3Hk6G Venezuela's Guaido calls for uprising

Towed to prison

Party head Carlos Prosperi said security forces towed Zambrano's car away while the lawmaker still inside.

Zambrano's exact whereabouts were unknown, but he tweeted that at 6:35 p.m. (2235 UTC) he left his party's headquarters and his car was surrounded by intelligence officers.

He wrote that he refused to leave the vehicle, which was subsequently towed with him inside it to the Helicoide, a government building in Caracas used for holding prisoners.

Opposition lawmakers under investigation

In a separate case, Venezuela's Supreme Court indicted three more lawmakers for supporting Guaido's uprising.

The three lawmakers — named as Freddy Superlano, Sergio Vergara and Juan Andres Mejia — have been accused of high treason and conspiracy.

Their arrests come after a court announced the indictment of seven others on Tuesday.

Guaido, who is recognized as Venezuela's interim president by more than 50 countries, was also stripped of his immunity on April 2.

In response to the first indictments on Tuesday, Guaido said in a speech that the government's "only response ... is to persecute, because they no longer govern, because they no longer have command."

Watch video 01:53 Share Venezuela's Lopez speaks out Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3Hr88 Venezuelan opposition activist speaks out against Maduro

law/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

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SEBIN agents detain Juan Guaidó's deputy Edgar Zambrano, the Vice President of the opposition-held National Assembly, and are reported to have taken him to El Helicoide prison. He is the most high profile opposition politician arrested since the presidential crisis began in January.