Venezuela’s popular opposition leader, María Corina Machado, was freed Thursday afternoon after being briefly detained by opponents during an anti-government protest in Caracas on Thursday, according to the statement on X by the political assistant.

Ms. Machado was “violently intercepted as she was leaving the rally,” her party he said on X. “Regime troops shot at the motorcycles that were transporting her.”

The country’s autocrat, Nicolás Maduro, is scheduled to be sworn in for a third term as president on Friday.

Mrs. Machado was living in hiding in Venezuela amid threats of arrest by government officials, her first public appearance since August. She called for rallies across the country and in cities around the world to protest Mr Maduro’s inauguration.

Thousands of people turned out to support Ms Machado at an event in Caracas on Thursday, risking detention by the authorities. There, the opposition leader was standing on a truck while supporters shouted: “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!”

At X, a political aide, Magalli Meda, said Ms. Machado was knocked off her motorcycle as she was leaving the rally.

“Firearms were fired at the event,” Ms Meda said. “They took her by force.”

During her short detention, “she was forced to make several videos and was later released,” she added. “In the next few hours she will address the country herself to explain what happened.”

Ms. Machado’s representatives declined to say who detained her. The event was packed with government security forces, often backed by members of armed groups known as colectivos.

Minister of the Interior of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, speaking in a television interviewhe called the capture “a lie” and accused the opposition of making it up to gain attention.

The country’s opposition, as well as the United States and other countries, say Mr. Maduro stole the recent election and that the real winner was Edmundo González, a former diplomat who has Ms. Machado’s support.

Mr. González has been living in exile since September.

Before being detained, Ms. Machado told her followers: “This strength that we have built and that grows every day has prepared us for this last stage.”

“Whatever they do tomorrow,” she said of Maduro’s inauguration, “they just buried themselves!”

About 2,000 people have been detained in Venezuela since the July 28 election, including, in recent days, the son-in-law of Mr. González, Rafael Tudaresas well as Carlos Correa, director of the high-profile non-profit organization Espacio Público.