Who is Rocío San Miguel and why was she detained by the Maduro Government?

The arrest of the human rights activist and president of the NGO Citizen Control, Rocío San Miguel, has generated all kinds of reactions, including organizations such as Amnesty Internationalwho has requested his release.

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San Miguel is recognized for its knowledge of military and national security issues, as well as extensive experience in consulting and advising organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States. She was detained on Friday, February 9, at the Maiquetía International Airport, in Caracas, but it was learned of his arrest on Saturday night, which was confirmed on Sunday in the afternoon by Attorney General Tarek William Saab.

“The Public Ministry reports the arrest of the citizen Rocío del Carmen San Miguel Sosa, this by virtue of an arrest warrant against her for being allegedly linked and referenced in the conspiratorial plot and attempted assassination called 'White Bracelet', whose “The objective was to attack the life of the Head of State Nicolás Maduro and other high officials,” Saab wrote in his X account.

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The 57-year-old activist She is critical of the government of President Nicolás Maduro, just as she was of Hugo Chávez, which is why she was fired from the National Border Council on March 12, 2004 after having signed the call for a recall referendum against Chávez.

San Miguel was one of the thousands of people who appeared on the so-called Tascón List, by Chavista deputy Luis Tascón, who was in charge of publishing the names of the Venezuelans who asked for a recall against Chávez, many of them persecuted and fired from their jobs. .

Given this, 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.

Since then he dedicated himself to documenting cases of human rights violations through his NGO Control Ciudadano. He has also overseen the Venezuelan State's commitments to the Rome Statute and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

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“Consistent with our mandate, we demand his immediate freedom and denounce that this new abuse is part of the painful practice of persecution against those who defend and exercise rights,” published the specialized NGO Provea.

San Miguel has knowledge of the entire Venezuelan military area and always handles detailed information about what is happening in that space.

For some analysts, who preferred not to identify themselves, this detention, which at first was classified as a forced disappearance, “It is a sign that Maduro is hypersensitive to the military issue because he knows that he does not control it”.

Several sources consulted by EL TIEMPO assured that linking San Miguel with the alleged conspiracies lacks support, but that it is likely to be a message to the Armed Forces, which does indeed have contacts with the specialist.

ANA MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ BRAZÓN
TIME CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS