MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Joint statement issued against the arrest of Venezuelan opposition activist

San Miguel has been accused of plotting to kill President Nicolás Maduro

Given the arrest in Venezuela of opposition activist Rocío San Miguel last week, the governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay issued a joint statement Thursday calling for her release.

“The governments of Paraguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Uruguay express their deep concern over the arbitrary detention of human rights activist Rocío San Miguel and make a strong call to the Venezuelan authorities to release her immediately and drop the charges made,” the document read.

The five countries also rejected the recent measures against the Technical Advisory Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Venezuela and demanded full respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the calling of “transparent, free, democratic and competitive” elections.

San Miguel has been accused of plotting to kill President Nicolás Maduro. Her detention was confirmed Saturday when NGOs and opposition parties denounced her “forced disappearance.”

Held at Caracas' infamous El Helicoide headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin), San Miguel has been charged with “treason, conspiracy, terrorism, and association,” according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, which also denied any “forced disappearance.”

In addition to San Miguel, five of her family members and relatives, including her ex-husband, were also detained.

The Venezuelan government also suspended Thursday the Caracas office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, considering that it has “instrumentalized” its work against the Executive.