Reports suggest Jesús, who had been campaigning for a free and fair election in the country last year, was kidnapped by authorities on 10 December. 

It is believed that he is being held at El Helicoide, a well-known torture centre in Caracas, under the custody of Venezuela's political police. 

Jesús received a Chevening Fellowship to complete a Masters in Public Policy with us in 2019/20 before undertaking an internship at the Institute of Economic Affairs. 

He had worked for the city council of Caracas for five years, and was head of the organisation Ciudadania Sin Limites, which promotes freedom and democracy in Venezuela. He’s also been teaching at the Central University of Venezuela. 

Jesús played an important role in the opposition campaign during the July 28 presidential elections, in which Nicolás Maduro was defeated. Maduro has refused to recognise the result and reports suggest the government has arbitrarily detained more than 2,000 opposition figures, including Jesús. 

The US announced a $25m reward for his arrest on 10 January, the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office. 

Noemi Lendvai-Bainton, Associate Professor at the School for Policy Studies at University of Bristol, who was Jesús’ personal tutor during his studies, said: “We are deeply saddened and worried about Jesús’ arrest. Jesús was an outstanding former student, who, coming from a humble background, worked extremely hard at his academic studies.  

“He was our first Masters in Public Policy student from Venezuela, and he arrived eager to expand his knowledge around public policy, local government studies and city governance. It was my privilege to mentor Jesús and see him grow through his academic year in Bristol. His humble, funny, and smart personality made him a very popular student among his classmates.  

“We are all deeply worried about his arrest and on seeing him imprisoned for insisting on high professional standards of good governance in his country. It is a great worry for all universities involved in training future generations of civil servants to see former students held against their will.  We are sending our thoughts and solidarity to Jesús and his family.” 

Michele Acuto, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Bristol, said: “We are extremely concerned about the abduction of Bristol alumnus Jesús Armas, who studied for a Masters in Public Policy with us in 2019/20. We understand he is being detained against his will by the authorities in Venezuela. We join other organisations in calling for his immediate and safe release, along with other pro-democracy detainees.”