Politics
Spanish Euro-deputy Carlos Iturgai late on Friday reported in a news conference that his colleague Luis Herrero was arrested by Venezuelan National Guard and Police Intelligence Services Directorate (Disip) officers, who appeared at the hotel where the two lawmakers were staying in Caracas ahead of February 15 referendum on endless reelection.

According to Iturgai, the National Guard and Disip officers asked Herrero to leave the hotel and join them, arguing that they were following instructions from the Venezuelan president.

"We are shocked... I could not expect that such things may happen in a country where the President of the Nation makes a show of his democratic condition. I could not expect this (...) only because of some public statements, in a place where freedom of expression should be above everything."

Iturgai told reporters: "Luis Herrero is missing. They took him away, and at this time at night we do not know Luis Herrero's whereabouts." He added that they had no news on Herrero for more than two hours.

Further, the Euro-deputy stressed that they advised the Spanish and European Union diplomatic authorities of the incident. "I have been informed that (Spanish Foreign Affairs) Minister (José Luis) Moratinos has contacted the head of the Spanish delegation of the People's Party (PP), Jaime Mayor Oreja, and that the president of the Spanish People's Party Mariano Rajoy has been advised of the situation. Further, I was told that the (Spanish) Ambassador (in Caracas) is taking the relevant steps before the government of Venezuela."

Some minutes following Iturgai's remarks to the press, unofficial sources informed that Herrero was driven directly to the airport to wait for an airplane that would take him back to his country.