Venezuela crisis: Juan Guaido deputy arrested in Caracas Published 9 May 2019 Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Venezuela crisis Image source, EPA Image caption, Mr Zambrano's car was towed by Sebin agents with him inside The deputy of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has been detained by the country's intelligence services. Edgar Zambrano, vice-president of the National Assembly, refused to leave his car when approached, and as a result he and his car were towed to prison. It is the first arrest of a senior opposition figure since attempts to spark a military rebellion against President Nicolas Maduro last week. Mr Guaido is recognised as "interim president" by more than 50 nations. What happened? Democratic Action party leader Carlos Prosperi told reporters that he had been at a party meeting with Mr Zambrano in the capital Caracas moments before the latter was arrested by agents from Venezuela's Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin). "The vehicle was surrounded," he said. "They [Sebin agents] wouldn't allow us to get to him. They brought a tow truck and his vehicle was towed away." Venezuelan online television channel VPI posted footage of the moment Mr Zambrano was towed on Twitter. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by VPItv Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy , external and privacy policy , external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’ . Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by VPItv Mr Prosperi said that he believes Mr Zambrano was taken to El Helicoide, a notorious prison in the centre of the city. "We don't know anything about what physical condition he's in and we don't know what is happening at El Helicoide at the moment," he said. What's the background? The arrest comes a day after Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered that Mr Zambrano and six other National Assembly deputies be charged with treason for their alleged participation in the failed military uprising. Read more about Venezuela's crisis: Venezuela crisis in 300 words How the political situation escalated All you need to know about the crisis in nine charts The court asked the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), a body convened by President Maduro and made up exclusively of his supporters, to lift the parliamentary immunity of the lawmakers, which the ANC promptly did. Since then, three more opposition lawmakers have been charged and their immunity is expected to be lifted within days. They are: Freddy Superlano of the Democratic Action party, Sergio Vergara and Juan Andres Mejia, who both represent the Popular Will party. What reaction has there been? Mr Guaido called Mr Zambrano's arrest - in particular the towing of his car - "absurd" in a tweet he posted shortly after the incident. There was also swift reaction from the officials from the US, a country which has been one of the strongest supporters of Mr Guaido. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Venezuela crisis: The four countries interested in the presidential battle On the Twitter account of its "virtual" embassy in Caracas - the embassy closed in March amid growing tensions - the US called the detention "illegal and inexcusable" and warned that if he was not released immediately, there would be consequences. However, the tweet did not spell out what those consequences would be. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Embajada Virtual de los EE.UU., Venezuela Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy , external and privacy policy , external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’ . Accept and continue The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by Embajada Virtual de los EE.UU., Venezuela The EU said Mr Zambrano's arrest was "another flagrant violation" of Venezuela's constitution and described it as "a politically motivated action aimed at silencing the National Assembly". Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru have also called for Mr Zambrano's release. Meanwhile, the head of the National Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, boasted about the arrest on his TV show. To the applause and loud cheers of government supporters, he mocked the lawmaker, saying that he would have to pay for the towing of his vehicle. Earlier Mr Cabello called Mr Zambrano "one of the principal conspirators of the coup" and said that he and his "co-conspirators" would have to "pay before the courts for the failed coup that they have attempted". How did it come to this? Mr Guaido declared himself Venezuela's acting leader in January. As the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, he invoked the constitution to assume as the position of interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate. Since then, tension between those who support Mr Guaido and those who back Mr Maduro has increased. The military is seen as holding the key to the balance of power. On 30 April, in a video recorded near an air force base in Caracas, Mr Guaido called on the military to help him oust President Maduro. Mr Zambrano was one of the lawmakers seen in later footage talking to Mr Guaido on a flyover near the air force base. Mr Cabello said that was "enough to prove his involvement". While a small group of uniformed men joined Mr Guaido, the top brass of the military quickly declared its loyalty to President Maduro and the status quo was maintained. Mr Guaido has since told the BBC he would consider asking the US to stage a military intervention. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Self-declared interim president Juan Guaido failed in a third attempt to oust Nicolas Maduro. What now? Venezuela timeline: Oil prices and crises Oil prices collapse from $35 to $10 a barrel 1986 - Oil prices fall Riots take over the country 1989 Image copyright by Getty Images President Carlos Andres Perez implements a number of austerity measures. The prices of petrol, food and public transport rise sharply, sparking riots that become known as Caracazo. Security forces crack down on demonstrators, killing between 300 and 3,000. Two failed coup attempts 1992 Image copyright by Getty Images Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias, a young army lieutenant colonel, leads an attempt to overthrow the president. The revolt is unsuccessful, Chavez gives himself up and is sent to a military jail. Months later, his allies try to seize power for a second time, but fail again. The revolts result in some 120 deaths. Perez impeached and Chavez pardoned 1994 Embroiled in corruption accusations, President Perez was impeached in 1993 and sentenced to jail. Not long after, Chavez and other rebels are pardoned. In 1997, Chavez and his supporters launch the Movement of the Fifth Republic. Oil prices fall from around $19 to $12 a barrel due to the Asian financial crisis 1998 - Oil prices fall Chavez ?elected 1998 Image copyright by Getty Images With support not just from the poorest but also from a middle class which has seen its living standards sink, Chavez is elected promising "revolutionary" social policies. Presidential terms extended 1999 A new constitution is approved in a referendum, extending the presidential term from five to six years and allowing leaders to run for immediate re-election. It comes with one condition: a presidential election should be held in 2000, which Chavez wins. Caracas protests turn violent 2002 Image copyright by Getty Images The state-owned oil company, PDVSA, struggles after top technocrats were replaced with inexperienced Chavez loyalists, and business and union leaders call a general strike. Protests in Caracas turn violent with at least a dozen dead. Top military officers detain Chavez and businessman Pedro Carmona declares himself president. Rescued by lower ranks of the military, Chavez returns to the presidency just 48 hours after being ousted. Chavez clings to power amid unrest 2003 Thousands of oil workers who had joined the strike are fired. Chavez pegs the bolivar to the dollar and introduces foreign currency and price controls. Opponents organise a number of protests and petitions for a referendum on the president's rule but Chavez remains in power. Oil prices rise from $30 to above $60 a barrel 2006 - Oil prices up Bolivarian revolution "success" 2006 Chavez starts pumping the money from oil revenues to fund social welfare and introduces controversial policies including nationalising key sectors of the economy. His programmes reduce poverty and help get him re-elected. He says his "Bolivarian revolution" has triumphed. Image copyright by Getty Images After reaching a record high above $140 in 2008, oil prices plunge to around $32 2009 - Oil prices fall High inflation bites 2009 While poverty continues to fall as a result of the government’s programmes, Venezuelans suffer from high inflation. Electricity blackouts become frequent and crime rises across the country. March towards democratic socialism 2012 Chavez is re-elected saying he has fully recovered from an unspecified cancer he announced in 2011. He says Venezuela will continue its "march towards democratic socialism". But critics say the cult around his image is taking the country towards dictatorship. Chavez dies 2013 After months without being seen in public, Chavez dies at 58 in Caracas. Thousands take to the streets to pay tribute while his hand-picked successor, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro, vows to keep socialist legacy. Maduro is elected promising a "revolution within the revolution" 2013 Image copyright by Getty Images Oil prices plunge below $50 a barrel 2017 - Oil prices fall Millions flee 2017 Image copyright by Getty Images The country is unable to pay for imports of goods and shortages of food and medicine become chronic. Maduro blames the crisis on a US-led "economic war" while the opposition accuses the government of economic mismanagement. Security forces crack down on protesters, resulting in more than 100 deaths. As the crisis grows, millions of Venezuelans leave the country. Maduro re-elected amid opposition boycott 2018 Political stand-off deepens crisis 2019 Image copyright by Getty Images Declaring Maduro's re-election was illegitimate, head of the National Assembly Juan Guaido declares himself interim leader and is recognised by more than 50 countries, including the US and most in Latin America. Backed by key allies Russia and China and the top of the Venezuelan army, Maduro resists the pressure and stays in power. Show more Related Topics Juan Guaido Caracas Nicolas Maduro Venezuela Venezuela crisis More on this story El Helicoide: From icon to infamous jail Published 24 January 2019 Guaido 'considers asking US to intervene' Published 5 May 2019