Caracas, Venezuela - In a move that has raised concerns about the government's repression of adversaries in an election year, Venezuela's government has ordered the United Nations Human Rights office to suspend its operations and given its staff 72 hours to leave the country. Foreign Affairs Minister Yván Gil made the announcement at a press conference, accusing the office of assisting coup plotters and terrorist groups.

The local technical advisory office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which was established in 2019, was intended to improve and optimize human rights in Venezuela. However, Gil claimed that instead of fulfilling its mandate, the office had become an "international sounding board to maintain a discourse against the Bolivarian government and against the Venezuelan people." Despite this assertion, no evidence was provided to support the allegations.

The decision came after the recent detention of a prominent human rights attorney, Rocio San Miguel, and members of her family. San Miguel was apprehended at the airport near Caracas while awaiting a flight to Miami, and her detention was only acknowledged by authorities several days later. San Miguel's charges include treason, conspiracy, and terrorism, while her family members face a range of related charges. Only her former partner, Alejandro Jose Gonzales de Canales Plaza, remains in custody.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva expressed deep concern over San Miguel's detention and called for her immediate release and respect for her right to legal defense. The U.N. agency also emphasized the importance of due process guarantees in her case.

Venezuela had previously agreed to cooperate with the high commissioner by establishing the local technical advisory office in Caracas. However, the government's decision to order the office's suspension and expel its staff raises questions about its commitment to addressing human rights abuses. The U.N. Human Rights Council had previously voted to set up an independent fact-finding mission to investigate allegations of human rights violations in Venezuela, but the government has prevented the mission from visiting the country.

As Venezuela approaches its upcoming presidential election, concerns are mounting about the curtailment of democratic freedoms by the government. The fact-finding mission has documented the use of threats, surveillance, and harassment against political figures, labor leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, and other perceived opponents.

The expulsion of the UN Human Rights office and the ongoing detention of Rocio San Miguel and her family highlight the diminishing space for dissent and the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela. The international community will be closely monitoring developments and advocating for the protection of human rights in the country.