Venezuela: Maduro closes the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as repression intensifies

The Nicolás Maduro dictatorship announced its decision to suspend the activities of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Venezuela. The regime assured that it will review the terms of technical cooperation described in the Letter of Understanding signed with the organization.

"This office has been used as an international sounding board to maintain a discourse against the Bolivarian government," Foreign Minister Yván Gil stated in a press conference.

"This decision is made due to the inappropriate role that this institution has developed, which, far from showing it as an impartial entity, has led it to become the private law firm of coup plotters and terrorist groups that permanently conspire against the country," Gil added.

In a statement issued by the Chancellery of the Republic, the dictatorship also ordered the office staff, a total of 13 workers, to leave Venezuela within 72 hours.

The measure by Maduro comes precisely after the U.N. human rights entity expressed its concern about the disappearance of the president of the NGO Citizen Control, Rocío San Miguel.

'Venezuela is hostage to a ruthless mafia'

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Marco Rubio referred to the situation and highlighted that Venezuela "is hostage to a ruthless mafia":

Likewise, NGOs such as Provea warned that the dictatorship's intention is to cover up and silence human rights violations in the country.

"This measure increases the lack of protection of victims in the face of abuse, and attempts to prevent the scrutiny of international protection bodies in the face of serious human rights violations that are committed daily in the country," said Provea.