Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, was ‘kidnapped’ from the streets on Thursday, her allies have said.

Ms Machado came out of hiding to lead a protest in Caracas against president Nicolas Maduro, who is set to be sworn in for a third term as president on Friday following a highly contentious election in July.

Her team reported on X that Ms Machado, 57, was “violently intercepted upon exiting the rally”, and claimed shots had been fired at her motorcycle convoy.

A member of her entourage also confirmed her arrest to AFP news agency, while Carla Angola, a prominent journalist in the country, wrote on X: “The regime has kidnapped Maria Corina.”

Freddy Nanez, Venezuela’s information minister, said reports of her arrest was a “media distraction”.

“The tactic of media distraction is not new, so no one should be surprised. Less so coming from fascists who are the architects of deception,” Mr Nanez said on Telegram, the social media platform.