Rocío San Miguel Acquitted, Granted Full Freedom
JUSTICE · VENEZUELA
Key Facts
- —The country Venezuela, where authorities in place since Nicolás Maduro’s capture in January 2026 have been freeing political detainees in stages.
- —What happened Late on 1 October 2026, a Caracas trial court for terrorism cases acquitted Rocío San Miguel and three co-defendants, granting “full freedom without restrictions”, Attorney General Larry Devoe said.
- —Who is involved The Third Trial Court with terrorism jurisdiction, led by Judge Alejandra Romero Castillo (per Tal Cual). Prosecutors themselves requested the acquittal. Ten other defendants were convicted.
- —What it means for you Her precautionary measures, including a ban on public statements, end with the verdict. The ten convictions in the same case show political prosecutions are not over.
- —Still open The written judgment is not public. The tenth convicted defendant is unnamed, and no appeals had been announced as of 2 October 2026.
Rocío San Miguel, one of Venezuela’s best-known human rights lawyers, was acquitted late on Thursday 1 October. A trial court for terrorism cases cleared her of all charges in the so-called Brazalete Blanco (White Armband) case.
Attorney General Larry Devoe said the court granted her “full freedom without restrictions” after his office asked for the acquittal. The same ruling convicted ten other defendants.
Which court ruled and what it decided
The verdict came from the Third First-Instance Trial Court with jurisdiction over terrorism, San Miguel said on X. It declared her “free of criminal responsibility” for the charges brought against her.
Tal Cual reported that Judge Alejandra Romero Castillo presided over a trial lasting more than six months. Foro Penal, a prisoner-rights group, relayed the outcome from outside the Palace of Justice in Caracas around 11:20 pm.
This is a trial verdict of acquittal, not a softer precautionary measure. It also covered her former husband, pilot Alejandro González, and Luis Camacaro and Guillermo López, regional coordinators of the opposition party Vente Venezuela.
Why the prosecution changed course
The Public Ministry, Venezuela’s prosecution service, brought the case in 2024 under then Attorney General Tarek William Saab. He tied her to an alleged plot against Maduro and Táchira state governor Freddy Bernal.
According to Efecto Cocuyo, she faced charges of treason, conspiracy, terrorism and criminal association. Devoe, Saab’s successor, said his office sought acquittal after “an objective analysis of the facts and the evidence” heard at trial.
He cited the constitutional presumption of innocence. San Miguel said the ruling confirmed what she had argued since the day of her arrest: that she is innocent.
From El Helicoide to full freedom
San Miguel heads Control Ciudadano, an NGO that monitors security policy and the armed forces. She was detained on 9 February 2024 at Maiquetía airport near Caracas while trying to travel with her daughter.
She spent almost two years in custody, mostly at El Helicoide. Rights groups including Amnesty International called the detention arbitrary.
She was released on 8 January 2026 with a group of Spanish citizens, after Maduro’s capture, and flew to Madrid. Efecto Cocuyo noted that the release replaced detention with precautionary measures and was not full freedom.
Her brother, José Manuel San Miguel, said on 27 May that she had returned to Venezuela to see the case through. Until this week she remained barred from making any public statements to the media.
Ten convictions in the same case
Devoe said ten defendants were convicted after the court found their involvement “fully proven”. Foro Penal reported conspiracy terms of 18 years for Captain Angelo Heredia and 12 years each for Guillermo Enrique César and Ronald Ferrer.
Several officers received three-year terms for cover-up, according to Crónica Uno and Tal Cual. Crónica Uno said those officers stay on conditional release, reporting every 30 days and barred from leaving the country.
San Miguel called the convictions “profoundly unjust” and asked for them to be annulled. Three soldiers earlier sentenced to 30 years in the same case were freed on 19 August, Tal Cual reported.
The verdict follows a wider series of releases, covered in Venezuela Frees 39 Detainees After Opposition Talks; Hundreds Still Jailed. In September a UN mission said much of the old system persists, as reported in Venezuela Still Runs Maduro’s Repression System, UN Mission Says.
What Is Not Yet Known
The full written judgment has not been published, so the court’s reasoning on each charge is not yet public. No organisation has named the tenth convicted defendant, Crónica Uno noted.
Reports differ on the names and exact list of those sentenced for cover-up. It is also unclear whether the convicted defendants will appeal, or whether prosecutors will contest any part of the ruling.
Sources: El Cooperante, report on the acquittal and full freedom, 2 October 2026; Efecto Cocuyo, report on the acquittal, 2 October 2026; Efecto Cocuyo, convictions in the Brazalete Blanco case, 2 October 2026; Crónica Uno, 2 October 2026; Tal Cual, 2 October 2026; Efecto Cocuyo and Tal Cual on her return, 27 May 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief