But the move was just part of a slide from democracy that has been gaining steady momentum in the country over the past year — seen starkly in prison cells where the ranks of political prisoners are growing. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyMr. Trump wrote that Mr. López, a former mayor of Caracas, should be released immediately. The taking of political prisoners is not new in Venezuela; it is the numbers that have grown under Mr. Maduro, human rights groups say. “It’s about protecting free speech.”The government ombudsman did not respond to a request for comment on Mr. Jatar or other prisoners. “He is a person with violent characteristics,” Mr. El Aissami, the vice president, said of Mr. Caro.

Source: New York Times March 31, 2017 23:59 UTC