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Ex Caracas mayor flees house arrest, arrives in Colombia

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Former Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma has escaped house arrest and fled to Colombia. That's an apparent embarrassment for security forces who had been keeping close watch over one of the nation's most prominent opposition leaders.

Colombian immigration authorities say in a statement that Ledezma entered the country legally on Friday by crossing the Simon Bolivar bridge separating the two countries.

Ledezma was removed as mayor of Caracas and detained in 2015 on charges of plotting to oust President Nicolas Maduro. After a few months in jail he was released and placed under house arrest due to health issues.

He was one of the leaders of anti-government in protests that rocked Venezuela in 2014 also led to the jailing of other prominent opponents, including Leopoldo Lopez, who remains under house arrest.

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