Arrest warrants issued for Venezuelan opposition candidate’s campaign manager and other staffers

Venezuela’s top prosecutor announced arrests warrants Wednesday for the presidential campaign manager of opposition powerhouse Maria Corina Machado and eight other of her staffers.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab said during a nationally televised news conference that campaign manager Magalli Meda and the eight other staffers were accused of being part of violent anti-government conspiracies. He said two of the eight staffers already were arrested Wednesday.

The announcement came hours after an independent panel of experts investigating human rights violations in Venezuela told the U.N. Human Rights Council that the government of President Nicolás Maduro had increased repression efforts against real or perceived opponents ahead of this year’s presidential election.

Machado last year overwhelmingly won a primary election held by an opposition faction. But the country’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice in January affirmed an administrative order barring the former lawmaker from holding public office for 15 years.

Machado, however, has continued her campaign, rejecting calls from inside and outside Venezuela to exit the race. Neither she nor her campaign immediately commented on Saab’s announcement.

The election is scheduled for July 28. The candidate registration period runs from March 21-25.

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