CARACAS (Reuters) – Advocacy groups and lawyers on Monday said that five family members of Rocio San Miguel, a celebrated human rights activist in Venezuela who was detained last week, were missing.
Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek Saab, on Sunday said that San Miguel was detained for her alleged involvement “in the conspiracy plot and attempted assassination” of President Nicolas Maduro.
San Miguel, 57, an expert on topics including security, defense and Venezuela’s military, was detained on Friday afternoon at Maiquetia international airport near capital city Caracas, advocacy groups said.
The arrest was widely condemned on social media by opposition politicians and human rights groups.
Five of San Miguel’s relatives – including her daughter – are now missing, said Juan Gonzalez, one of the activist’s lawyers.
San Miguel’s legal team has requested information from security officials but have not received a response, Gonzalez added.
Neither the attorney general’s office nor the ministry of communication responded to requests for comment.
San Miguel’s lawyers have submitted a constitutional protection before a court asking why she was arrested and where she is being held, because they do not have details, Gonzalez added.
(Reporting by Mayela Armas and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Oliver Griffin)
