The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has accused Nicolás Maduro’s regime of “kidnapping” one of her key allies as the country braced for protests marking one month since the allegedly stolen presidential election and a cabinet reshuffle left government opponents fearing an upsurge in repression.

Activists say more than 1,600 people have been detained during the post-election crackdown ordered by Venezuela’s authoritarian president. On Tuesday, one of the opposition’s most important figures, the lawyer and spokesperson Perkins Rocha joined their ranks after being captured on the streets of Caracas, seemingly by Maduro’s secret police.

Machado, who is the driving force behind the recent electoral challenge to Maduro, announced her friend’s alleged abduction on X, calling him “a righteous, brave, intelligent and generous man”.