Venezuela on Thursday ordered the U.N. human rights office in Caracas to shut down all operations, ordering the staff to leave the country within three days.

During a news conference, Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil announced the decision, saying that the office had played an “inappropriate role” and had become the “private law firm of the coup plotters and terrorists who permanently conspire against the country.”

He added that the decision would remain in effect until the office publicly rectified its “colonialist, abusive and violating attitude of the United Nations Charter.”

The announcement came after the human rights office criticized Venezuela’s decision to detain human rights attorney Rocio San Miguel, an incident that has drawn domestic and international concern.

The government detained her for what it said was her role in an alleged U.S.-backed plot to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

The human rights office urged Venezuela on the social media platform X to immediately release San Miguel and to grant her the right of legal defense.

San Miguel was detained at an airport close to Caracas while waiting for a flight to Miami with her daughter.

Read more: voanews.com

Photo: voanews.com