They denounce the arrest of Rocío San Miguel, human rights defender in Venezuela

In the opinion of the Justice and Peace Center (Cepaz), this detention “is part of the application of the pattern of criminalization, attacks and threats against human rights defenders and civil society in general”, which “is exacerbated in the electoral contexts”, in reference to this year's presidential elections.

Amnesty International, for its part, called for his “immediate and unconditional freedom.”

This event occurs almost three weeks after the Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, reported the arrest of more than thirty people for allegedly being involved in conspiratorial plans, and that the authorities arrested three collaborators of the presidential candidate of the main opposition coalition, María Corina Machado, accused of being part of a conspiracy.

Last December, more than 60 NGOs asked the UN to monitor the “situation of democratic freedoms and human rights” in the country and to “pronounce in a timely manner” on this matter in view of the upcoming electoral periods, including the presidential one, for when they foresee an increase in “repression and persecution.”

The Venezuelan prosecutor's office has not yet commented on the case.

The retention of San Miguel occurs in a context of the Venezuelan government's announcement that it has neutralized five assassination “conspiracies”, in which the Venezuelan justice system points to the military, journalists and activists.

One of them, called “White Bracelet”, in which San Miguel is supposedly involved, consisted of the attack on a military base in Táchira, on the border with Colombia, to take weapons and assassinate Chavismo leaders.

Maduro, who must seek re-election this year, frequently denounces plans to overthrow and assassinate him.

San Miguel won a case against Venezuela in 2018 before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IAC Court) for the violation of political and expression rights, after his dismissal from a public entity for supporting in 2003 the call for a recall referendum against the then president Hugo Chávez (1999-2013).

According to the NGO Foro Penal, Venezuela has 261 “political prisoners”, including 18 women and 146 soldiers.

Last October, the government and the opposition signed a political agreement ahead of the presidential elections, which led to the release of 10 Americans and another 24 Venezuelans who were imprisoned in Venezuela for political reasons, in exchange for Alex Saab, accused of being Maduro's front man. and who was detained in the United States on accusations of money laundering.

Opposition leaders condemn the arrest

Through X, the candidate of the main opposition coalition for this year's presidential elections, María Corina Machado, denounced that The “repressive onslaught of the Maduro regime continues” with the arrest of San Miguel, for which he asked for “national and international solidarity with her and with all political prisoners and persecuted people” in the South American country..

The two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles condemned the arrest and assured that, “once again, power continues the dynamics of terror, persecution, criminalization and arbitrariness to neutralize those who think differently.”

“This action is a new violation of the Constitution, due process, human rights and integrity. There is no justification for disappearing someone and keeping them incommunicado without access to their lawyers,” the former governor also said in X.

Former deputy Delsa Solórzano denounced that It is a “forced disappearance”, something that “occurs frequently in Venezuela” and “constitutes a serious violation of due process, the right to defense” and “human rights.”.

“We demand an immediate response and attention to the case from the international organizations for the protection and defense of human rights that are in Venezuela. Enough of the silence!” he expressed.

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
*With information from EFE and AFP

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