Venezuela: Arrest of local mayor signals potential “witch hunt” | Amnesty International

Venezuela: Arrest of local mayor signals potential “witch hunt” | Amnesty International:

The arrest of a Venezuelan mayor for his alleged involvement in anti-government protests is a signal of the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, said Amnesty International.

“With the arrest of Daniel Ceballos on suspicion of rebellion and conspiracy to commit a crime, authorities in Venezuela seem to be setting the scene for a witch hunt against opposition leaders,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Americas Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

Daniel Ceballos, mayor of San Cristóbal, west of Venezuela, and member of the opposition party Voluntad Popular, was arrested by the Venezuelan Intelligence Security Services (SEBIN) on 19 March.

The Minister of Justice and Interior, Miguel Rodriguez Torres, announced on TV that Ceballos had been detained on charges of “civil rebellion” and “conspiracy”.

 

Daniel Ceballos, mayor of San Cristóbal was arrested by the Venezuelan Intelligence Security Services on 19 March.