Venezuela orders UN human rights office to close, accusing it of anti-government activity

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s government has ordered the local U.N. office on human rights to suspend its operations and has given its staff 72 hours to leave the country, accusing it of promoting opposition to the South American country. Foreign Affairs Minister Yván Gil announced the decision at a news conference in Caracas, nearly a week after Venezuela detained human rights attorney Rocio San Miguel, which set off a wave of criticism inside and outside the country. Gil says the U.N. office established in 2019 supposed to improve the protection of human rights. He says it has become a sounding board for discourse against the government instead.