By Caribbean News Global 
USA / VENEZUELA – US Department of State on Friday, March 2024, said the arrest of two María Corina Machado Associates in Venezuela is “unjustified.”
Venezuelan attorney-general Tarek William Saab announced two arrests over an alleged thwarted plan to revive violent street protests orchestrated by María Corina Machado’s far-right political organization.
“This was meant to be similar to the 2014 and 2017 ‘guarimbas’ [violent protests]. They intended to attack military installations, use labor unions and students to promote street actions and encourage a military wing to attack the country’s energy companies,” claimed Saab during a press conference on Wednesday.
Matthew Miller, US Department of State, spokesperson, said:
“The decision by Maduro and his representatives to detain two members of the leading opposition candidate’s campaign and issue warrants for seven others represents a disturbing escalation of repression against Venezuela’s opposition parties. These actions along with the arrest of numerous other opposition and civil society members this year, as well as continued disqualification of candidates, undermine the possibility of competitive elections.”
The department spokesperson’s statement continued:
“We join our international partners and the Venezuelan people in calling for an end to the harassment campaign targeted at Venezuelans engaged in peaceful political activity,” adding, “To guarantee a democratic election that meets the expectations of the Venezuelan people, Maduro and his representatives must follow through on the commitments they made in Barbados in October 2023.”
The US Department of State, press release on Friday, affirmed:
“We continue to call for the immediate release of all political prisoners and the return of the UN Human Rights Office to Caracas.
“We will continue to support Venezuelans’ aspiration for a more democratic, stable, and prosperous Venezuela. We will also work with our partners to uphold the democratic process as it offers the best hope to address Venezuela’s ongoing political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.”
US revoking General License 43 on Venezuela in support of democracy
