Venezuela orders UN human rights office to close, gives staff three days to leave

Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister, Yván Gil, announced at a news conference in Caracas that the country has expelled the local office of the United Nations Human Rights Body. Gil accused the office of promoting opposition to Venezuela and having a "colonialist, abusive, and violating attitude." The UN officials, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, were given 48 hours to leave the country. The decision came after the UN criticized Venezuela's human rights record and called for free and fair elections. Gil also mentioned that a UN representative, Elizabeth Throssell, was detained at the airport while trying to leave the country with her daughter.