A leading human rights advocate has been released from detention in Venezuela, just days after President Nicolas Maduro began his third term in office amidst a crackdown on dissenting voices and opposition figures.
Carlos Correa, who directs the Venezuelan non-profit organisation Espacio Publico, was freed in the early hours of Thursday, as confirmed by his organisation via a social media post.
Correa, a respected university professor and an authority on free speech in Venezuela, was among several opposition figures and civil society activists arrested in the lead-up to Maduro’s inauguration last Friday.
Amnesty International, the human rights group, reported last week that “hooded individuals” had arbitrarily detained Correa on January 7 in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.
In a statement issued the following day, the group demanded the immediate release of Correa and other detained Venezuelan human rights defenders, while accusing the Maduro government of conducting a campaign of “politically motivated” detentions.
“We demand Nicolas Maduro ensures their immediate and unconditional release and, while in state custody, protects their life and safety, right to not be subjected to torture, and fair trial guarantees,” Amnesty International stated.
Volker Turk, the United Nations human rights chief, had also called for Correa’s release.
Maduro was sworn in for his third term on January 10, months after Venezuela’s electoral authorities declared him the winner of a disputed July vote.
However, the country’s opposition maintains that its presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, defeated Maduro.
Opposition leaders have accused the government – which did not release a detailed breakdown of the votes – of rigging the election in Maduro’s favour.
Despite this, the long-serving president, who assumed power after the death of Venezuela’s left-wing leader Hugo Chavez in 2013, has maintained a defiant stance.
“May this new presidential term be a period of peace, of prosperity, of equality and the new democracy,” Maduro declared during his swearing-in ceremony, vowing to adhere to the country’s laws.
“I swear on history, on my life, and I will fulfil [my mandate].”
The inauguration occurred a day after another opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, was briefly detained following a rare public appearance to lead a protest against Maduro’s continued rule.
According to Espacio Publico, the organisation led by Correa, over 400 newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels have been shut down in Venezuela over the past two decades, a clampdown that began under Chavez and intensified under Maduro.
On Wednesday, Correa’s wife disclosed that her husband had been brought before an anti-terrorism court last week, but she had no information regarding the charges against him or his place of detention.
Human rights groups and press freedom organisations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), welcomed the news of Correa’s release.
“The director of [Espacio Publico] should not have spent a single day in detention,” RSF posted on the social media platform X.
