The United States has criticized the administration in Caracas over the death of a detained opposition figure, labeling it a "stark reminder of the vile character" of President Nicolás Maduro's rule.
The political prisoner was found dead in his cell at the El Helicoide facility in Caracas, where he had been held for over a year, as reported by advocacy organizations and political opponents.
The officials in Venezuela said that the man in his fifties exhibited indicators of a myocardial infarction and was taken to a medical facility, where he succumbed on Saturday.
This new intervention from the US is part of an intensifying exchange of rhetoric between the White House and President Maduro, who has alleged Washington of pursuing a change in government.
In recent months, the US has increased its military presence in the region and has conducted a series of lethal operations on vessels it asserts have been used for trafficking narcotics.
US President Donald Trump has alleged Maduro himself of being the chief of one of the region's cartels—an claim the Venezuelan president categorically refutes—and has threatened the use of force "via a land invasion".
"Alfredo Díaz had been 'held without cause' in a 'facility for mistreatment'," said the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Díaz was detained in that year after participating with several political opponents to challenge the outcome of that period's presidential election.
Venezuela's state-run election council announced Maduro the winner, despite figures from dissidents showing their contender had triumphed by a landslide.
The elections were largely criticized on the global scene as flawed and unfair, and triggered demonstrations around the country.
The former governor, who governed the island state, was accused of "stoking division" and "terrorist acts" for questioning Maduro's claim to victory.
Venezuelan advocacy group Foro Penal has raised concerns over deteriorating situations for jailed opponents in the South American state.
"One more political prisoner has passed away in Venezuelan detention centers. He had been held for a twelve months, in isolation," posted Alfredo Romero, the body's head, on a social media platform.
He added that Díaz had only been granted one visit from his child during the full duration of his imprisonment. He also mentioned that over a dozen political prisoners have passed away in the nation since that year.
Dissident factions have also criticized the administration over the passing of the former governor.
María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader who received this period's Nobel Peace Prize but who is in hiding to evade arrest, commented that his demise was not an isolated incident.
"Unfortunately, it adds to an disturbing and painful sequence of demises of detained dissidents held in the aftermath of the electoral crackdown," she wrote.
The opposition alliance said that the former governor "was an unjust death".
His own political party, Democratic Action (AD), also honored the ex-leader, saying he had been held without justice without fair treatment and had been kept in situations "that infringed upon his human rights".
Strains between the United States and Venezuela have become increasingly strained over what Trump has called attempts to stem the influx of drugs and migrants into the United States.
Maduro has conversely claimed the US of using its anti-narcotics campaign as an excuse to depose his administration and access Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
The United States has also positioned a significant armada—its biggest deployment in the area in many years—along with numerous soldiers.
In a connected move, the Venezuelan military according to reports swore in more than 5,600 troops in one go on the weekend, in reaction to what army commanders described as US "threats".
A seasoned gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience in lottery analysis and casino reviews.
