Venezuela Opens Probe Into Death Threats Against Opposition Candidate

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s prime prosecutor launched an investigation on Sunday into dying threats in opposition to a presidential candidate, as fears of political violence within the area have risen following final week’s assassination in Ecuador.

Lawyer Normal Tarek Saab wrote in a publish on social media platform X, previously often called Twitter, that human rights prosecutors have been assigned to research the threats in opposition to Delsa Solorzano, a presidential hopeful competing in an opposition major in October.

The opposition major goals to select a standard-bearer to face off in opposition to President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling socialists in subsequent yr’s basic election.

Solorzano, the pinnacle of the Citizen Encounter get together, mentioned on Saturday that insult-laden dying threats have been despatched to her through a Fb account, and on X she posted a display shot that appeared to point out a message attributed to Colombia’s Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN) insurgent group threatening to kill her.

Final week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and the ELN, a Marxist group that has fought Colombia’s authorities for many years, started a six-month ceasefire as a part of an effort to finish to their battle.

The subsequent spherical of talks between Petro’s authorities and ELN representatives is anticipated to start in Caracas on Monday.

The message posted by Solorzano purportedly from the ELN additionally talked about the slain Ecuadorean presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, gunned down final week in Quito.

In her publish, Solorzano cited “the grave incidents that not too long ago occurred in Ecuador” for motivating her to talk out.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Modifying by Robert Birsel)

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