Rocío San Miguel, one of Venezuela’s best known security experts and, later, one of its most prominent political prisoners, was released on Thursday after nearly two years in custody, her family told The New York Times. She was among the first batch of political prisoners released by the interim Venezuelan government since Nicolás Maduro was captured by the United States.
Ms. San Miguel, a dual Venezuelan-Spanish citizen, was taken to the Spanish embassy in Caracas, the capital, with her daughter and other close relatives after her release, according to her former sister-in-law, Minnie Díaz Paruta. “We saw this outcome as the most impossible of all,” Ms. Paruta said, speaking from Atlanta.
When she was arrested in February 2024 and accused of being involved in a plot to kill Mr. Maduro, Ms. San Miguel was the head of Citizen Control, a nonprofit organization that investigated deadly force used by Venezuelan state security forces.
Her arrest stunned human rights circles and raised fears that Venezuela had entered a new era of repression. Though Mr. Maduro’s authoritarian government was known for taking political prisoners, it was thought that Ms. San Miguel’s international stature, moderate political views and apparent contacts within the Venezuelan military might protect her.
“If this happened to Rocío San Miguel, then what’s left for everybody else?” Laura Dib, who directs the Venezuela program at the Washington Office on Latin America, said at the time.
The release of Ms. San Miguel and other political prisoners on Thursday appeared to be a symbolic effort to demonstrate political change after Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as the interim leader, with the backing of the United States, following Mr. Maduro’s ouster. Venezuelan officials did not specify how many prisoners would be set free, but Ms. San Miguel was among five Spanish nationals who were released, according to Spain’s foreign minister, who said in a radio interview that all were well.
Anushka Patil is a Times reporter covering breaking and developing news around the world.
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