Rocío San Miguel details experiences during Venezuelan detention

Human rights defender and president of the NGO Control Ciudadano, Rocío San Miguel, has shared details regarding her nearly two-year detention in Venezuela. Following her release, San Miguel described her arrest on February 9, 2024, at Maiquetía airport as occurring under a ‘silent alert’ without a warrant or flagrant crime.

During her imprisonment, San Miguel faced significant health issues, including a fracture resulting from a fall that went untreated for eight months. She also detailed the personal toll of her incarceration, noting that her brother, Miguel Ángel, developed cancer during her detention and later passed away after seeking treatment in Spain.

San Miguel characterized her time in custody as a firsthand observation of the failures within the Venezuelan state apparatus. She has called for urgent reforms to the country’s intelligence agencies, military justice system, and penitentiary centers. She specifically cited her presentation before the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) alongside her family as an instance of extreme psychological violence.