Venezuelan human rights advocate and legal specialist, Rocío San Miguel, held captive and vanished without a trace.

In a turbulent political climate, the Public Ministry is working to dismantle a group that sought to turn the state Barinas into the epicenter of violent actions. Amidst this, the arrest of vocal government critic Rocío San Miguel has sparked controversy and concern, with several non-governmental organizations and political parties rejecting her detention under the hashtag #DondeEstaRocio (Where is Rocio).

San Miguel, the director of Citizen Control, was detained on February 9 at Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía International Airport. However, the authorities have yet to disclose her location or the security body holding her. Her lawyer, Juan González Taguaruco, has expressed concern over the lack of information regarding her detention, stating that there is no information about which police agency detained her, where she is detained, which court she is under, or who is directing the investigation.

The allegations against San Miguel are connected to a conspiracy plot and attempted assassination of President Nicolas Maduro. The Public Ministry reported that San Miguel is allegedly linked to the "White Bracelet" conspiracy plot, which aimed to attack President Maduro and other high officials, as well as military units.

Maduro's government has linked the alleged assassination conspiracies to opposition leaders, United States intelligence agents, and the Colombian Army. Within the past few weeks, 36 government critics have been arrested, and 22 are wanted by the Venezuelan justice system, suspected of being involved in five alleged conspiracy plans to kill President Maduro.

San Miguel's detention is not the only controversial arrest in recent weeks. On January 17, Victor Venegas, president of the Fenatev education workers union in the state of Barinas, was arrested for alleged conspiracy against Maduro.

The arrest of San Miguel has also brought renewed attention to the Tascón List, one of Venezuela's most iconic cases of political sectarianism during chavismo. San Miguel, Thais Peña, and Magaly Chang have been fighting for justice, truth, and reparation in the Lista Tascón case for almost 20 years. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) urged the Venezuelan Government to comply with the 2018 ruling in the Lista Tascón case, a legal crusade started almost two decades ago by San Miguel, Peña, and Chang.

The IACHR has given the Venezuelan State until May 6, 2024, to present a compliance report regarding the Lista Tascón case. Meanwhile, the detention of San Miguel and the ongoing investigations continue to raise questions about the state of human rights and political freedom in Venezuela.

In another development, Maria Corina Machado, a popular opposition candidate, has been banned from participating in the 2024 presidential election. The Attorney General issued an arrest warrant against prominent members of Machado's team for allegedly receiving financing from Exxon Mobil to conspire against the referendum for Guayana Esequiba.

As the situation in Venezuela continues to unfold, the international community is closely watching the events and the treatment of government critics. The uncertainty surrounding the detention of Rocío San Miguel and the ongoing investigations are causing concern and raising questions about the rule of law and the respect for human rights in Venezuela.