Venezuelan authorities arrested two mayors from the opposition party for failing to contain and even encouraging the violent anti-government protests that have left 31 people dead and more than 400 injured.  Some human rights advocates are worried.

The Supreme Court held San Diego mayor Vicencio Scarano in contempt for disobeying a ruling from 12 March that required him to have opposition barricades taken down and set-up free transportation to get the city back to normal after the weeks of protests.  He didn’t, and encouraged more barricades.  The court ordered him arrested and jailed for ten and a half months.

Mayor Daniel Ceballos of San Cristobal, the western city where the first protests erupted on 4 February before spreading to other cities, was arrested as well on charges of rebellion and conspiracy.  The mayors represent two of 1,700 arrests in weeks of protests.  And some of those arrested over the weeks were police officers, accused of going too far against the opposition protesters.

“Nobody in this country is above the law, the State and the people of Venezuela.  How many times have we called upon the opposition to participate in a national dialogue?” asked President Nicolas Maduro.

But Human Rights groups are not happy with the charges filed against one of the mayors.

“With the arrest of Daniel Ceballos on suspicion of rebellion and conspiracy to commit a crime, authorities in Venezuela seem to be setting the scene for a witch hunt against opposition leaders,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Americas Deputy Director at Amnesty International, which is urging Venezuelan authorities to achieve a balance of maintaining public order and respecting human rights.