Women riding past a mural depicting late Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez in front of his childhood house, in Sabaneta, in the state of Barinas.

Reuters
Caracas

The Venezuelan government yesterday blasted the US for linking an activist’s murder to upcoming legislative elections and said it would sue an opposition leader who has blamed the ruling Socialist Party.
The Wednesday night killing of Luis Diaz, a leader of the opposition Democratic Action party in central Guarico state who was gunned down at a public meeting, rocked Venezuela days before the vote for a new National Assembly, which the Socialists risk losing for the first time in 16 years.
In the emotional aftermath of Wednesday’s killing, Henry Ramos, the national head of Democratic Action, and Lilian Tintori, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez and a witness to the shooting, both pointed the finger at the ruling party.
But President Nicolas Maduro and other Venezuelan officials said initial investigations pointed to a gang dispute. They also accused the opposition of exploiting the case to discredit the Socialists in the eyes of the world before the December 6 election.
“Trying to link a murder between criminal gangs with Venezuela’s electoral process shows desperation and bad faith,” Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said of a US statement linking it to other aggression against opposition candidates.
“It is also deplorable that the US State Department supports criminal groups connected with Venezuela’s opposition.”
Democratic Action is part of an opposition coalition that polls show has a strong chance of winning the legislature.
Rights groups were outraged by Diaz’s slaying on Wednesday toward the end of a public rally. South American regional bloc UNASUR, which has sent a mission to observe the election, condemned the killing.
“We call on the relevant national authorities to carry out an exhaustive investigation of this awful incident,” it said.
Opposition leaders have for several weeks been denouncing hostility against their candidates, including several incidents of shooting in the air during marches.
But the head of the government’s election campaign, Jorge Rodriguez, said Diaz had been part of a gang linked to extortion, murders and kidnapping, and named an alleged rival as his presumed killer.
Rodriguez said he would bring a lawsuit against Democratic Action head Ramos for defamation of the Socialist Party.
“From January 5 onward, I am going to investigate you all for the multiple crimes you have committed,” Ramos retorted, referring to the date the new National Assembly starts.
In Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein urged Venezuela to provide better safety for political opponents and rights defenders.
“A sovereign state must defend and protect individuals who criticise and question the policies and practices of the state,” he said in a statement.
“I urge the authorities to ensure that the investigation into Luis Diaz’s murder is independent and impartial and brings to justice the perpetrators, as well as the masterminds behind the assassination,”  the statement said.