Boris Johnson: Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro acting like a 'dictator'

Venezuela's president is behaving like the "dictator of an evil regime", Boris Johnson has said, after two of the country's opposition leaders were arrested.

Leopoldo Lopez and former Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma were allegedly detained just hours after a highly-controversial election in the South American nation.

Officials say that eight million people voted to grant president Nicolas Maduro nearly unlimited powers on Sunday - but opponents reject this figure and fear democracy is being eroded.

Fifteen people were reported to have been killed in violence on the day of voting, with Britain and the US both condemning the election after as a "sham".

Now Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson has criticised Mr Maduro personally, accusing him of taking political prisoners.

• US hits Venezuelan president with financial sanctions

Relatives of Mr Lopez and Mr Ledezma reported on Tuesday that the pair had been detained by the state.

Both had recently posted videos online criticising Mr Maduro's decision to hold the election, the run up to which has seen more than 100 people killed.

Mr Johnson tweeted: "Maduro acting like a dictator of an evil regime and has destroyed Venezuelan economy, eroded human rights + imprisoned thousands".

In another post, he added: "Hundreds have died during protests against Maduro's actions. Political prisoners must be released + rights, freedoms + democracy respected."

• The Venezuelan election was called in May following a month of protests against Mr Maduro's government.
  Plunging oil prices and widespread corruption have left the formerly prosperous nation struggling with widespread shortages of food and medicine.
  Opposition parties boycotted the election, which saw 5,500 ruling-party candidates run for 545 seats.
  The US reacted to the election by imposing financial sanctions on Mr Maduro.
  He responded on national television, saying that the sanctions "don't intimidate me for a moment", adding: "I don't listen to orders from the empire, not now or ever".