Repression in Venezuela intensifying ahead of elections, rights groups say

Fears Maduro government is trying to shut down scrutiny after lawyer is arrested and UN human rights office shut down

Human rights groups are calling for the Venezuelan government to halt a crackdown on civil society after it jailed a prominent lawyer and then banished a UN human rights office from Caracas for criticising her arrest.

The arrest of the 57-year-old lawyer and military expert Rocio San Miguel has shocked observers, who say Venezuela is entering a darker phase of state oppression intended to crush government opposition in the lead-up to elections expected later this year.