She is free.
On February 8, 2026, María Oropeza walked out of a year and a half of unjust detention during Maduro's dictatorship, in Venezuela. This is her story, and what it took to bring her home.
A timeline of María's case
On August 6, 2024, María Oropeza was kidnapped from her home by agents of the Maduro regime. What followed was a year and a half of detention, international pressure, and a campaign that spanned twelve countries, ending the day she walked free. Tap any date to read what happened.
- Fox NewsMaduro crackdown on political opponents following rigged election: "chilled people into silence"
- ABC NewsThe CASLA Institute requests an arrest warrant against Maduro from the International Criminal Court
- Reason"María Knew She Was Being Targeted": the arrest of a Venezuelan activist exposes Maduro's brutal crackdown
- TalCualLeader of Vente Venezuela, María Oropeza, is charged with terrorism
- Folha de S.PauloThe inner workings of Maduro's repressive machine
- Libre MediaThe friend of a Canadian-Venezuelan woman kidnapped by the Maduro regime
- Gazeta do PovoAnne Dias speaks about María Oropeza during an interview
- GZHDemocracy only when it suits
- Quebec NouvellesVenezuela: "the repression right now is total, it's truly a totalitarian atmosphere" — Ana Rizo, LOLA
- IACHR / SRFOECondemn State terrorism practices in Venezuela
- RzeczpospolitaMaría Oropeza kidnapped: lawyer opposing Venezuelan dictatorship arrested
- WprostLeader of international organization kidnapped. Maduro regime tightens repression
- SpeakFreelyGlobal Organization of Libertarian Women takes international legal action to demand the release of Activist María Oropeza
- Nova.newsVenezuela regional opposition leader arrested live on video
- Contra Poder"Operación Tun Tun" claims more than 2,000 victims — guest: Ana Rizo
- Morning Show (Brazil)Coverage of María Oropeza's case
- Gazeta do PovoOpposition denounces that Maduro regime kidnapped one of its campaign coordinators
- Folha de S.PauloFind out who is the opposition figure who filmed her own detention in Venezuela
- CBN MundoMaría Corina Machado's campaign manager arrested in Venezuela
Around the world
LOLA's commitment to María's freedom remains unwavering. Remarkable progress has been made, including taking her case to the International Court, which has elevated her plight to the global stage. Tap a star to see what happened there.
Taken from her home
At approximately 9:30 p.m., María Oropeza, a 30-year-old lawyer, human rights advocate, and LOLA leader, is forcibly taken from her home in Portuguesa, Venezuela, by agents of the Maduro regime.
Her whereabouts are unknown. This marks the beginning of her forced disappearance.
IACHR grants protection
LOLA submits an urgent request to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, demanding immediate action to guarantee María's safety and release.
Two days later, the Commission recognizes the grave risks to her life and issues Resolution 46/2024, granting urgent precautionary measures in her favor. It is LOLA's first legal foothold in the case.
Held at El Helicoide
Before the location is confirmed, the regime releases a video of María being taken out of a helicopter, set to an ominous score, an attempt to intimidate and control the narrative around her case.
It is revealed that María is being held at El Helicoide in Caracas, known as the largest torture center in Latin America and notorious for housing political prisoners of the Maduro regime.
By early September she has been missing for a month, with this confirmation the only word her family has received. LOLA organizes a second wave of protests across Peru, Brazil, the United States, Poland, and Argentina to keep the pressure on.
The UN recognizes her case
The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela includes María's case in its official 2024 report to the UN Human Rights Council, concluding that she was arbitrarily detained and subjected to short-term enforced disappearance.
The report identifies her case as part of a systematic pattern of political repression following Venezuela's 2024 elections, elevating María's situation to the global human rights agenda.
LOLA wins at Atlas Network
At the Atlas Network's Liberty Forum and Freedom Dinner, LOLA wins first place in the John Blundell Elevator Pitch competition. Delivered by Anne Dias, the sixty-second pitch spotlights María's imprisonment and rallies international support.
The $5,000 raised goes directly toward advocacy and María's family, including a trip to Brasília where LOLA leaders met with Brazilian officials to press for action, and support to sustain María's family through the end of 2024.
One year in detention
María has now spent a full year imprisoned in El Helicoide, her family allowed only limited visits under strict surveillance.
LOLA marks the anniversary with a renewed campaign, joined by major liberty organizations including YAL, SFL, El Bastión, and Livres. LOLA Rio de Janeiro hosts an online event with Venezuelan guests, drawing coverage in five major Brazilian outlets, while legal work continues toward a new petition to the IACHR.
First IACHR hearing
LOLA participates for the first time in a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, convened on Venezuelan political prisoners at the University of Miami.
Iza Patriota, LOLA's Director of Development and a lawyer, delivers an oral statement on María's behalf, alongside other organizations and families advocating for victims of the regime. A dedicated working group had assembled a full dossier in ten days to meet the Commission's deadline.
Free
Her release comes weeks after Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. military operation in January 2026, followed by the formation of an interim government. In the weeks that followed, María and other political prisoners held by the former regime were released.
After one and a half years of detention, María Oropeza is released from El Helicoide. She is safe, healthy, and surrounded by family and friends.
Her release is a deeply meaningful victory, not just for María and her loved ones, but for everyone who believes in liberty, perseverance, and the power of standing together.
Not just a closed chapter
For a year and a half, María's case sat in LOLA's conversations, meetings, and prayers. Every month, LOLA spoke up and posted publicly, demanding her release, keeping her name in front of the world for the entire time she was held. Members worried through long silences and celebrated every sign of her strength. Many said it felt like fighting for a sister.
Her release does not mean the fight is over. Activists are still imprisoned around the world, families are still separated, and freedom is still out of reach for many. What María's case shows is that sustained pressure and collective action can change the outcome.
"María is our friend. Seeing someone we admire being abducted by a dictatorship simply for defending her people's freedom is outrageous. We won't rest until María is free." Letícia Barros, President of LOLA Brazil
This happened because people showed up
Shared
María's story, again and again, until it could not be ignored.
Showed up
To protests, panels, and awareness events across twelve countries.
Spoke up
Contacted media and officials to keep the pressure on.
Gave
Time, energy, and funds toward her legal defense and her family's needs.
Welcome back to freedom, María.
We love you, we celebrate you, and we honor your courage.
