Washington, DC - The United States is deeply disturbed by the Venezuelan government's decision to move opposition leader Daniel Ceballos from house arrest to prison.

‎Mr. Ceballos' transfer to prison represents an effort to intimidate and impede the Venezuelan people's right to peacefully express their opinion September 1. We condemn it and call for Mr. Ceballos' immediate release.

The basic underpinnings of the rule of law in Venezuela have degraded to an alarming degree. There is no place in a democratic society for employing the instruments of the state to bully, intimidate, and silence the political opposition.