CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa on Sunday was released after more than eight months in prison for what are widely considered to be politically motivated accusations.
Guanipa, one of the closest allies of opposition powerhouse María Corina Machado, had been held at a detention facility in the capital, Caracas. His release release comes as the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez faces mounting pressure to free hundreds of people whose detentions months or years ago have been linked to their political beliefs.
“Today, we are being released,” Guanipa, standing with an armored vehicle and officers behind him, said in a video posted on X. “Much to discuss about the present and future of Venezuela, always with the truth at the forefront.”
He was detained in late May and accused by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello of participating in an alleged “terrorist group” plotting to boycott that month's legislative election. Guanipa's brother Tomás rejected the accusation, and said that the arrest was meant to crack down on dissent.
“Thinking differently cannot be criminalized in Venezuela, and today, Juan Pablo Guanipa is a prisoner of conscience of this regime,” Tomás Guanipa said after the arrest. “He has the right to think as he thinks, the right to defend his ideas, and the right to be treated under a constitution that is not being enforced today.”
Venezuelan-based prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal confirmed the release of 11 people on Sunday.
In addition to Juan Pablo Guanipa, Machado's political organization said some of its local political organizers were also released.
“Let’s go for the freedom of Venezuela!” she posted on X.
Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela's acting president after the capture of then President Nicolás Maduro by the U.S. military last month.
Her government last month announced it would free a significant number of prisoners — a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States — but families and rights watchdogs have criticized authorities for the slow pace of the releases.
The ruling party-controlled National Assembly this week began debating an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners. The opposition and nongovernmental organizations have reacted with cautious optimism as well as with suggestions and demands for more information on the contents of the proposal.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez on Friday posted a video on Instagram showing him outside a detention center in Caracas and saying that “everyone” would be released no later than next week, once the amnesty bill is approved.
FILE - Opposition lawmaker Juan Pablo Guanipa displays a sign that reads in Spanish "More than a million residents of Zulia State eat only once a day" during an intervention against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at National Assembly, in Caracas, Venezuela, Dec. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)
MILAN (AP) — Norwegian speedskater Sander Eitrem went from, to use his words, “probably one of the underdogs" to “the favorite” in the men's 5,000 meters at the Milan Cortina Olympics by breaking the world record just last month.
That created pressure and nerves and, well, he didn't handle it all that well at the start of his Winter Games debut Sunday, stumbling for his first few strides off the line. Eitrem gathered himself, though, and soon was skating smoothly and powerfully, all the way to a gold medal and an Olympic-record time.
So what happened at the outset?
“Adrenaline just rushed through my body and I felt I was struggling to move. That’s the reason I had a small accident," Eitrem said with a chuckle after clocking 6 minutes, 3.95 seconds, more than 2 1/2 seconds faster than 19-year-old Czech runner-up Metodej Jilek. “For sure, you’re getting stressed.”
Riccardo Lorello, who is from Milan, gave Italy the bronze, a day after speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida won the women's 3,000 meters to give the host nation its first gold of these Olympics in any sport.
Casey Dawson, the American who came in eighth Sunday four years after sitting out the 5,000 in Beijing because he tested positive for COVID-19, could relate to what Eitrem was dealing with.
“It happens,” said Dawson, who had a similar issue in his heat. “On such a big stage, there’s a lot of nerves going into it, and your feet kind of forget what to do the first couple of steps.”
All sorts of bad thoughts begin to creep in.
“Of course, I was afraid. When you do one mistake, it’s easier to do another,” said Eitrem, who turns 24 on Thursday. “For sure, that was in my mind for some laps. But (eventually), you just go into your own bubble and skate.”
He said it took him about 200-300 meters to regroup, and then, he explained, “I was back in it.”
Sure was.
By the 1,400-meter mark, Eitrem had overtaken Jilek — the other skater in his heat — and proceeded to pull away.
“I knew he was the guy to beat today,” Jilek said, “which he proved.”
At a World Cup race in Germany on Jan. 24, Eitrem became the first man in speedskating history to complete the 5,000 in under 6 minutes. He didn’t approach that time on Sunday, but it didn’t matter. He concluded his race by shaking his right fist, then raising it aloft, to celebrate being in first place.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and family arrived in the stands halfway through the day’s competition. Vance mouthed “Oh, wow,” after Eitrem’s time was shown on the video boards at the arena.
There were two more skaters yet to go, but with a few laps left for both of them, Eitrem knew the gold would be his.
“A lot of emotions going through my head,” he said later. “One second, I was crying. And then the next one, I was just enjoying the moment.”
His time was nearly 6 seconds faster than the old Olympic standard.
“So, yeah, the pressure has been pretty high the last couple of days,” Eitrem said. “To manage to pull it off — it’s a good feeling.”
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha watch the men's 5,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Casey Dawson of the U.S., right, and Davide Ghiotto of Italy compete in the men's 5,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Sander Eitrem of Norway celebrates after the men's 5,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Sander Eitrem of Norway celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 5,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
