Edgar Zambrano

Edgar José Zambrano Ramírez (born 20 July 1955) is a Venezuelan lawyer and politician that currently serves as a National Assembly deputy for the Lara state. From January 5, 2019 to January 5, 2020,[1] he served as First Vice President of the Assembly. He was President of the Permanent Defense and Security Parliamentary Commission between 2016 and 2018. He is the vice president of the opposition political party Democratic Action.

Edgar Zambrano
Zambrano in 2018
Vice President of the National Assembly of Venezuela
In office
5 January 2019 (2019-01-05) – 5 January 2020 (2020-01-05)
PresidentJuan Guaidó
Preceded byJulio César Reyes
Succeeded byJuan Pablo Guanipa
President of the Permanent Defense and Security Commission
In office
15 January 2016 (2016-01-15) – 30 January 2019 (2019-01-30)
PresidentOmar Barboza (2018-19)
Julio Borges (2017-18)
Henry Ramos Allup (2016-17)
Personal details
Born
Edgar José Zambrano Ramírez

(1955-07-20) 20 July 1955
Barquisimeto, Venezuela
NationalityVenezuelan
Political partyDemocratic Action
Spouse(s)Sobella Mejías
Nubia Borges (divorced)
Children2
Alma materUniversity Fermín Toro
OccupationLaw

Opposition figure

Within the opposition, Zambrano "is seen as a conciliatory figure" close to Henry Ramos Allup.[2] During the Venezuelan presidential crisis, he has been working as an aide to interim president Juan Guaidó,[3] as part of a power-sharing agreement among the largest opposition parties.[2]

Arrest and detention

In May 2019, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which is allied with Nicolás Maduro, ordered the prosecution of seven National Assembly members for their actions during the failed uprising against Maduro, including Zambrano,[2][4][5] on charges of "betraying the homeland" and "instigating an insurrection" during the uprising.[2]

On 8 May 2019, Zambrano was arrested in Caracas by a heavily armed commando unit of the SEBIN intelligence service, who surrounded Zambrano's car and towed it away with Zambrano inside.[2][6] The day before the arrest, the Constituent Assembly, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, stripped Zambrano and the six other opposition legislators of parliamentary immunity, a move that the opposition regards as illegitimate.[7] The Venezuelan opposition, the Lima Group of twelve Latin American nations plus Canada, the European Union, and the United States all condemned Zambrano's detention as arbitrary and an unconstitutional violation of his parliamentary immunity.[7][8] Guaidó called the arrest a kidnapping.[9] Organization of American States Secretary-General Luis Almagro said: "We demand the SEBIN stop the intimidation, respect the lawmakers' parliamentary immunities, and immediately release Edgar Zambrano."[9] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), directed by former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, demanded the "immediate release" of Zambrano.[10]

After four months of arrest, Zambrano was freed on 18 September.[11] Forbidden to leave the country, Zambrano's case remains open and he must report to a judge every month.[11] In the words of Juan Guaidó, the release is the result of popular pressure and the report of Michelle Bachelet, and not a "kind gesture from the dictatorship" of Nicolás Maduro.[12]

Personal life

His parents are José de los Santos Zambrano and Lucila de Zambrano, and he has two sisters.[13]

References
  1. "5 de enero, el día que la Asamblea Nacional tuvo dos presidentes". Efecto Cocuyo. 2020-01-06. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
  2. No. 2 Venezuelan opposition leader Edgar Zambrano arrested in his car by Maduro's agents, CBS News (May 9, 2019).
  3. Moleiro, Alonso and Javier LaFuente (30 January 2019). "La estrategia coral que resucitó a la oposición y echa el pulso más firme a Maduro". El Pais. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  4. "Venezuela crisis: US lifts sanctions on general who broke ranks". BBC News. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  5. "Tribunal Supremo de Justicia de Venezuela ordena enjuiciamiento de varios diputados" (in Spanish). CNN en Español. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  6. Kurmanaev, Anatoly (8 May 2019). "Ally of Venezuelan opposition leader is detained, Guaidó Says". New York Times.
  7. Senior Opposition Leader Allied With Guaidó Is Arrested In Venezuela, NPR (May 9, 2019).
  8. Arrest of Venezuelan opposition figure draws condemnation, Associated Press (May 9, 2019).
  9. Deputy of Venezuela's Guaido Arrested and Dragged Away by Tow Truck, Reuters (May 9, 2019).
  10. "La oficina de derechos humanos de la ONU, que dirige Michelle Bachelet, exigió la liberación de Edgar Zambrano". Infobae (in Spanish). 9 May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  11. "Venezuela releases opposition lawmaker after four months in custody". Reuters. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  12. "Venezuela's key opposition leader Edgar Zambrano released". Al Jazeera. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  13. "Edgar Zambrano: El país está en guerra civil de baja intensidad". El Impulso (in Spanish). 25 June 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
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