Venezuela arrested three aides to opposition candidate María Corina Machado as the government increases pressure on its critics ahead of presidential elections. Provincial leaders Juan Freites, Guillermo López and Luis Camacaro were detained for their alleged involvement in a recent plot to kill President Nicolás Maduro, Public Prosecutor Tarek William Saab said Friday. Machado had reported them missing since Tuesday. Maduro has been taking an increasingly harder line as he prepares for another presidential campaign. On Thursday, one of his top allies confirmed he would be the ruling socialist party’s candidate in a bid fo ... (full story)