BREAKING NEWS

Venezuelan generals among military officials recently jailed -rights group

CARACAS - Two active generals with Venezuela's National Guard were part of a group of 15 military officials arrested around the time of the socialist-run nation's widely criticized May 20 presidential election, a local rights group said on Monday.

Generals Pedro Naranjo and Nelson Morales appeared on Sunday before a military tribunal at the Defense Ministry, according to Gonzalo Himiob of the Penal Forum group, who said the men were the highest-ranking recent detainees from the armed forces.

Scores of soldiers have been detained on accusations of conspiring against the leftist government of Nicolas Maduro or deserting. Penal Forum said there were now 355 "political prisoners" in total in Venezuela.