UN Human Rights Office Closure in Caracas After Activist’s Arrest: Venezuela’s Crackdown

2024-02-15 21:13:00

UN office in Caracas closes following activist Maduro is arrested

February 15, 2024, 10:13 p.m. Listen to article

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The Venezuelan foreign ministry is closing the UN human rights office in the capital and giving all staff three days to leave the country. Shortly beforehand, the country’s most prominent human rights activist was arrested.

The Venezuelan government has closed the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and expelled staff from the country. The personnel must leave Venezuela within 72 hours, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said. The employees are biased and would one-sidedly take the position of the opposition. “Far from being an impartial body, this institution has become a private office of coup plotters and terrorist groups that are constantly plotting once morest the country,” said Foreign Minister Yván Gil.

The move follows a report two days ago in which the office expressed “deep concern” over the detention of prominent human rights activist Rocío San Miguel and called for her immediate release. He is accused, among other things, of treason and terrorism. She is said to have been involved in an alleged conspiracy to plan an assassination attempt on President Nicolás Maduro.

Repression once morest opposition members before the election

Prominent activist San Miguel was arrested at the airport.

(Photo: AP)

San Miguel is president of the non-governmental organization Control Ciudadano (Civil Control) which documents human rights violations by the police, military and secret service. Among other things, she uncovered the army’s involvement in illegal mining and femicide in the military ranks.

Entire San Miguel family arrested

Recently, repression once morest government opponents in Venezuela has increased once more. Ahead of the presidential election this year, in which President Maduro wants to be confirmed in office, several leading opposition figures were banned from political activity. It was not immediately clear whether the Venezuelan government directly informed the United Nations of its order to close the office.

Human rights activist San Miguel was taken into custody at the airport near Caracas on Friday while she and her daughter waited for a flight to Miami. Authorities only confirmed her arrest on Sunday, and as of Wednesday her lawyer had not been allowed to meet with her.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab said earlier this week that the lawyer was being held at Helicoide Prison, a notorious facility for political prisoners. San Miguel’s daughter, her ex-husband, two brothers and her former partner were also arrested following her arrest. Of them, only their former partner is still in custody.

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