Venezuela’s Top Prosecutor Tarek William Saab Resigns as Assembly Taps Interim Replacements

Overview

• The National Assembly accepted the resignations of Tarek William Saab and human-rights ombudsman Alfredo Ruiz, installing Saab as interim head of the Defensoría and naming Larry Devoe interim attorney general.
• Lawmakers formed a 13-member committee with 30 days to propose permanent successors for both posts.
• No public explanation was given for Saab’s exit after leading the Attorney General’s Office since 2017 with a record of prosecuting opposition figures.
• Human Rights Watch denounced Saab’s move to the rights ombudsman as an affront to victims, and opposition figure Henrique Capriles criticized the reshuffle.
• Devoe, head of the National Human Rights Council, has clashed with international bodies and has been on Canada’s sanctions list since 2019.