On Wednesday, Venezuela’s top prosecutor announced arrest warrants for the presidential campaign manager of opposition powerhouse Maria Corina Machado and eight other staffers, accusing them of involvement in a violent anti-government conspiracy.
In a televised news conference, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said that campaign manager Magalli Meda and the other Machado staffers were accused of being part of an undermining plot that comprised of demonstrations, a media campaign and plans to attack military barracks.
‘On Wednesday, two of the staffers, including political coordinator Dignora Hernández, were arrested but Meda had not yet been arrested’ said Saab.
A person familiar with Hernández recognised her as the woman seen in a video circulating on social media in Venezuela in which she screams “Help! Help, please! No!” while at least three uniformed officers try to wrangle her into the back of an SUV. The person asked not to be identified for fear of punishment.
Saab said the warrants stemmed from what he called a confession by another Machado staff member, Emill Brandt, who was arrested earlier this month and whose attorney, Omar Mora, said he has been denied legal counsel of his choice.
Despite an administrative ban on her holding office, Machado, who has insisted on pressing forward accused the government of unleashing ‘brutal repression against my campaign teams’.
The announcement of the arrest warrants came after panel of experts probing human rights violations in Venezuela told the U.N. Human Rights Council that the government of President Nicolas Maduro had increased efforts against real or perceived opponents ahead of this year’s presidential election.
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