Venezuela’s Top Prosecutor, Ombudsman Resign from Office

(MENAFN) Venezuela’s chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab and Ombudsman Alfredo Ruiz formally stepped down on Wednesday, submitting their resignations to the National Assembly, its leadership confirmed.

During a parliamentary session aired on the state broadcaster ANTV, Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez Gomez announced that he had received “two letters” conveying the officials’ decisions to leave their posts. Both men had previously been reaffirmed in October 2024 for seven-year mandates scheduled to run until 2031.

Saab, who has served as attorney general since 2017, held considerable authority as the country’s leading prosecutor. His tenure was widely associated with firm support for the previous administration. He publicly backed the return of President Nicolas Maduro following Maduro’s capture in a US military operation on Jan. 3—an action Saab repeatedly described as a "criminal incursion" and a breach of international law.

Trained as a lawyer and frequently presenting himself as a human rights advocate, Saab’s political career spans several prominent roles. He was a delegate to the 1999 National Constituent Assembly, later served as governor of Anzoategui state, and also held the position of Ombudsman before becoming attorney general.

However, his years in office were accompanied by sustained criticism from abroad. Since 2017, he has been under US sanctions over alleged human rights violations, while opposition figures at home often accused him of overlooking abuses carried out by security forces.

In one of his last public moves before resigning, Saab endorsed the recently enacted Amnesty Law, referring to it as the conclusion of an "important historical cycle." He portrayed the legislation as a mechanism for "healing wounds" resulting from prolonged domestic unrest and political confrontation.

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