Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested Thursday when her motorcycle convoy was fired upon by security forces as it departed an anti-government protest in Caracas, according to aides.

Venezuelan migrant Mariangela Lozano longs for her homeland, but ahead of Friday's planned inauguration for President Nicolas Maduro's third term, she has begrudgingly opted to remain in Mexico and brave her meager living conditions.

Syria had experienced 13 years of civil war and splintered into religious and ethnic factions before the regime fell. While Venezuela’s situation differs in many respects from that of Syria, the repressive regime in Caracas shares allies with Assad’s ousted government and, like his, is loathed by most citizens.

Machado’s appearance at the rally was her first public appearance in months, since a government crackdown on Venezeulan opposition figures and their supporters last year.

Two U.S. citizens have been arrested in Venezuela, part of a group of seven who President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday branded as "mercenaries," in the latest roundup ahead of the embattled leader's expected inauguration to a new term later this week.

Two Americans have been arrested in Venezuela, with President Nicolas Maduro claiming the charges relate to an intent to "practice terrorism against the Venezuelan people."