The US has criticised the Venezuelan government over the death of an opposition figure in custody, calling it a reminder of the vile nature of President Nicolás Maduro's regime. Alfredo Díaz died in his prison cell at El Helicoide prison in Caracas where he was being held for more than a year, human rights organisations and opposition groups have said.
The Venezuelan government said the 56-year-old showed signs of a heart attack and was taken to hospital, where he died on Saturday. The US intervention is the latest in an escalating war of words between the Trump administration and Maduro, who has accused it of seeking regime change.
In recent months, the US has increased its military presence in the region and has carried out a series of deadly strikes on boats it says have been used for smuggling drugs. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro himself of being the head of one of the region's drug cartels - an allegation the Venezuelan president vehemently denies - and threatened military action by land.
The US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said Díaz had been arbitrarily detained in a torture centre. Díaz was detained in 2024 after being among many opposition figures to dispute the results of that year's presidential election. Venezuela's government-controlled election council declared Maduro the winner, despite opposition tallies showing their candidate had won by a landslide.
The elections were widely dismissed on the international stage as neither free nor fair, and sparked protests across the country. Díaz, the former governor of the Nueva Esparta state, was accused of incitement to hatred and terrorism for questioning Maduro's claim to victory.
The Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal has raised concerns over deteriorating conditions for political prisoners, noting that another political prisoner has died in Venezuelan jails. Opposition groups have also condemned the circumstances surrounding Díaz's death, highlighting the ongoing plight of political detainees under Maduro's regime.
The Democratic Unitary Platform, an opposition alliance, said Díaz died unjustly, while his political party, Democratic Action (AD), paid tribute to him, asserting that he was unjustly detained without due process. Tensions between the US and Venezuela continue to escalate, with accusations of drug trafficking and threats of military intervention creating a precarious situation for both nations.
The Venezuelan government said the 56-year-old showed signs of a heart attack and was taken to hospital, where he died on Saturday. The US intervention is the latest in an escalating war of words between the Trump administration and Maduro, who has accused it of seeking regime change.
In recent months, the US has increased its military presence in the region and has carried out a series of deadly strikes on boats it says have been used for smuggling drugs. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro himself of being the head of one of the region's drug cartels - an allegation the Venezuelan president vehemently denies - and threatened military action by land.
The US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said Díaz had been arbitrarily detained in a torture centre. Díaz was detained in 2024 after being among many opposition figures to dispute the results of that year's presidential election. Venezuela's government-controlled election council declared Maduro the winner, despite opposition tallies showing their candidate had won by a landslide.
The elections were widely dismissed on the international stage as neither free nor fair, and sparked protests across the country. Díaz, the former governor of the Nueva Esparta state, was accused of incitement to hatred and terrorism for questioning Maduro's claim to victory.
The Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal has raised concerns over deteriorating conditions for political prisoners, noting that another political prisoner has died in Venezuelan jails. Opposition groups have also condemned the circumstances surrounding Díaz's death, highlighting the ongoing plight of political detainees under Maduro's regime.
The Democratic Unitary Platform, an opposition alliance, said Díaz died unjustly, while his political party, Democratic Action (AD), paid tribute to him, asserting that he was unjustly detained without due process. Tensions between the US and Venezuela continue to escalate, with accusations of drug trafficking and threats of military intervention creating a precarious situation for both nations.
