International repudiation of the arrest of Roberto Marrero, head of Juan Guaidó's office

The United States on Thursday called on Venezuela to immediately release the head of the office of Juan Guaidó, recognized as interim president of the South American country by more than 50 countries, and promised to attack those responsible.

"The United States condemns the raids of the security services of (Nicolás) Maduro and the arrest of Roberto Marrero, head of the office of the interim president @jguaido," said on his Twitter account the secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

"We ask for your immediate release. We will demand the responsibility of the people involved"On his arrest, Elliott Abrams, US Special Representative for the Venezuelan Crisis, said:"There will be consequences for those involved in illegal searches"

Intelligence officials arrested Marrero on Thursday morning after raids on his home and that of opposition MP Sergio Vergara, who lives nearby, in the Las Mercedes area of ​​the capital, Guaidó said. also at the head of Parliament.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said the arrest marked "a significant escalation of repression and could mark the beginning of efforts to stop the Guaidó".

The United States has repeatedly warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that there would be consequences in case of arrest of Guaidó or people from his environment.

Latin American leaders also condemned the operation of the Chavez regime. OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro has called for the immediate release of Marrero.

In turn, the Panamanian President, Juan Carlos VarelaHe said that he will takeconcrete measures"against Venezuela if the Chavez regime does not immediately release Marrero.

For his part, Colombian President Iván Duque described what was happening as an act of "repression, intimidation" and "vile aggression, of a criminal persecution of the dictatorship" that "the international community must censor all"

Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Colombian Chancellor, also rejected the arrest and demanded "respect" for freedom.

"The Colombian government rejects the headquarters of SEBIN (the Bolivian national intelligence services) in front of the offices of the deputy Sergio Vergara and the head of President Juan Guaidó's office, Roberto Marrero," Trujillo said via his Twitter account.