Venezuela attorney general resigns, then lands acting ombudsman role in surprise move

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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s attorney general, who for years played a central role in the government’s repressive apparatus, resigned Wednesday as pressure grew for an overhaul of his office and the country’s justice system, but lawmakers surprisingly appointed him immediately as the acting ombudsman.

Tarek William Saab, a close ally of former President Nicolás Maduro, submitted his resignation to the ruling party-controlled National Assembly without offering a reason for his decision. He had held the role of Venezuela’s chief prosecutor since 2017 despite repeated accusations of human rights violations against him and his office.

His resignation is the latest government change since the stunning Jan. 3 capture of Maduro by the U.S. military in the capital, Caracas.

Saab will serve as acting ombudsman until a committee appoints a permanent replacement for Alfredo Ruiz, who had held the role since 2017. Ruiz resigned citing “personal, family, and health reasons that I must attend to.” The ombudsman’s responsibilities include the promotion, defense and monitoring of human rights.

Both resignations follow mounting scrutiny of their offices following last month’s decisions of acting President Delcy Rodríguez to release from prison people long detained for their political beliefs and propose an amnesty bill, which she signed into law last week.

Rodríguez’s moves have led to small demonstrations and debates that have underscored patterns of trumped-up charges, prosecutorial delays and other abuses against real and perceived government opponents.

“His departure as Attorney General is promising but appointing him as Ombudsman is a slap in the face of victims,” Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement referring to Saab. “Meaningful reform requires appointing a new attorney general who is independent, ceases to persecute dissent, and commits to ensuring that all political prisoners are released and amnestied.”

Saab has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing accusations. He defended his actions Wednesday, saying he fulfilled his role “with integrity and honor” and “played the constitutional role of preserving peace and protecting the human rights of our people in a period of unimaginable aggression.”

Human rights experts, including a panel backed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, have documented the accusations against Saab. In a report that addressed the 2024 presidential election, the panel called out Saab's actions to “give a semblance of legality" to the serious abuses committed after the vote.

“The role played by the Attorney General was most conspicuously evident during the crackdown after the announcement of the election results,” according to the panel's report. “Following the protests, the Attorney General led the State action that resulted in human rights violations, including mass arrests, under the guise of the executive’s narrative of fighting a ‘coup d’état’ and ‘fascism’. ”