The US has criticized 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 the 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 stated the 56-year-old showed signs of a heart attack and was taken to the hospital, where he died on a 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 conducted strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling.
US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel—a claim the Venezuelan leader denies—and threatened military action.
The US State Department has described Díaz's detention as arbitrary and branded the prison as a torture centre.
Díaz was arrested in 2024, following disputed election results that declared Maduro the winner despite opposition claims that the elections were neither free nor fair.
The Democratic Unitary Platform, an opposition alliance, stated that Díaz died unjustly. His political party, Democratic Action (AD), emphasized that he had been denied due process and imprisoned under conditions violating his rights.
The situation has drawn international attention, with calls for accountability and better conditions for political prisoners in Venezuela, as concerns for human rights violations escalate amid the political turmoil.
