Pedro Mario Burelli, a veteran Venezuelan political operative and an opponent of Mr. Maduro’s movement, called the visit part of an effort to “freak him out” — to scare Mr. Maduro into believing that the global political tide is increasingly turning against him.

Edmundo Gonzalez, whom the White House called the “president-elect” of Venezuela despite Nicolas Maduro’s continued hold on the country, said his son-in-law was kidnapped in Caracas the day after he met with President Joe Biden.

Opposition leader Edmundo González met with President Biden on Monday at the White House to ask for the United States’ support ahead of his announced plans to travel to Venezuela this week to be sworn as the South American country’s next president,