Writing Caroní Mail
“The Dgcim takes me“, this was the last sentence that the family of Manuel*a worker from the National Electric Company (Corpoelec) residing in Guri, in the state of Bolívar, and arrested for alleged terrorism after the national blackout on August 30.
Manuel has been working in the company for 32 years and was taken from his room by police officers on the night of Sunday, September 1, for his alleged connection with sabotage of the electrical system.
For the wife of Manuelthat night the ordeal began, since the call was cut off after her husband alerted her to what was happening and, since then, she has not been able to speak to him again. He had to start cleaning houses, since the whole family lived off the worker’s salary and with what he earns he makes efforts to go to the city of Caracas, where the only information that was obtained is that the employee is held in a prison in Caracas. North Ticket.
Manuel He is one of the 40 workers that relatives estimate were detained after the blackout, all accused of terrorism since August 31 and sent to Caracas, where it is unknown if a trial has been held and they do not have access to private defense.
“The blackout was on the 30th and on the 31st they took four boys who were working at the plant. They took them away. Then, on Monday, they took 11 more people. That was already the second day. On September 2, President Maduro came to Guri with Delcy Rodríguez and they took 20 more people. There are approximately 40 detainees. There have been three batches of people detained. They are people who are kidnapped and missing. The families have been in Caracas and they do not give answers,” declared a relative of the worker.
On September 13, Caroní Mail reported the disappearance of at least 10 workers in Guri after human rights defender Tamara Suju raised the alert.
The family of Manuel He alleged that it is a case about which there is little information, since there have been three batches of prisoners, but only one was publicly reported. They also commented that the topic is prohibited in the state prison and no one dares to comment on what happened for fear of a new wave of arrests.
Accused of sabotaging the electrical system
Due to the need to work to obtain resources, the wife of Manuel He was unable to travel to Caracas, so other members of the family group have had to travel to seek information. In an interview with this medium, they claimed to have visited different penitentiaries, including El Helicoide, until an officer suggested they go to Boleíta.
At the detention center they have not obtained further details. There are no files or access to visits. Lawyers come and go, but none have information about the case of these employees; However, a relative of Manuel He managed to talk to a higher-ranking military officer, who informed him that the group was being investigated for an act of terrorism against the electrical system.
“We don’t know why they were taken away exactly. They have not told us, but what we have been able to learn is that they say they committed an act of terrorism. In Caracas they told me when an official assisted me that they are being investigated for terrorism. They presume that they sabotaged the system, is what we believe. Nobody gives an answer. Nobody talks or knows what exactly happened on the day of the blackout. Before the blackout, the Guri staff talked about it and said that there was a huge lack of maintenance, that it was crazy and that they were working with their nails. They said that at any moment there could be a blackout, previously there was an 8-hour blackout and there they took a worker from Corpoelec Ciudad Bolívar. They took him away and released him. No more is known. Going to Guri and asking about that is a sin right now,” the interviewee pointed out.
The day after the arrest of Manuelrelatives toured the Dgcim of the Caronoco Club in Puerto Ordaz. Later they went to DAES in Ciudad Guayana. They also toured the Core 8 sector in the different commands in the area. However, in none of these places did they get answers.
“One person told us that they were transported in batches by air to Caracas. They confirmed to me on a Wednesday morning that I was in Caracas. We did tours here in Puerto Ordaz twice. Nobody called his wife or his mother. We as a family had to go around, we talked to many people we know. I have spoken with other relatives, we have contact with the wife of another detainee and the brother of another boy who is also there. You enter the Dgcim and the first thing they tell you is that it is not there. So you go five times a day. That causes terror. According to the information we have, on September 3 they were taken to Caracas. This is what we have gathered, no one has told us anything. His wife is cleaning apartments because he was the head of the household and the family moved. We have been through everything. “It has been strong,” he said.
Families spend up to $400 searching for information
For the family of Manuelwho does not know Caracas, his search has been a challenge of patience and resilience. They first went to El Helicoide, where they were informed that there are not people being investigated, but rather prisoners being processed.
“I spoke with a high-ranking official and they told me that there were only defendants with convictions there. He told me: if the Dgcim took him, go to Boleíta, they have him there. I went there. I have no experience. I asked at the checkpoint and they made me wait. That represents a lot of money, I spent about 400 dollars staying in a hotel because I had nowhere to stay. I ate very badly to avoid spending money. They denied us that he was there until the end when an official came out, it was a woman, and told me that he was there. He told me he was fine and that he was eating. That if they had health problems, there was medical care there and they were given their medications,” said the source.
The family remains worried, since Manuel has heart disease and requires medical treatment; However, despite having taken the medicines to the location, access was not allowed.
“I begged them: I don’t see it, but give him this. That your superiors give it to him, that’s all I ask. At no time did they tell me anything. Neither water nor clothes nor a letter could be passed. I agreed. I was there three days and I returned because I was no longer achieving anything. I couldn’t see it, they didn’t tell me what they are accused of, there is no file. They just say it’s under investigation. They say they are not detained, they are being held. Why can’t I see it? They tell me that they are being investigated, that it was a delicate process that is being handled by Dgcim. I begged I don’t know how many times,” lamented the interviewee.
In the midst of these rounds, they went to Foro Penal, a non-governmental organization that is in charge of defending detainees in the post-electoral period, to find out what to do in the context of this situation where communication is practically non-existent.
As has been reported in other cases, Manuel’s family found that the imposition of private lawyers is not allowed, jurists do not have access to documentation or information. They explained that the same information offered to lawyers is what is given to relatives.
Anguish and anxiety: sensations surrounding the cases
For the families of those arrested, the reality is distressing, since only those who have the resources to travel and contacts can obtain the minimum information. Those who do not have money are left without knowing what to do and do not receive official communication.
“It is a very terrifying situation. It’s exasperating. His mother says he wants to die. That if his son doesn’t show up, he’s going to die because he can’t stand not knowing where he is. He thinks they may be torturing them. Officials may say they don’t touch them, but those investigations and interrogations are strong. His wife is cleaning houses because if not, there is no money. There are other relatives that we have met, we are leaving together. There is a case of a girl who could not go because she has a baby that she is still breastfeeding. In none of those institutions do they allow children to enter.”
About the procedure that is being applied or what is behind the investigation, the families know nothing. There is also little public knowledge about the case, given the fear that retaliation will be taken against those arrested.
Reporting in the company: a possible cause
“We came to the media because it is very quiet. They recommended that I make a fuss because it is something that in Caracas almost no one knows about this case. Many people were surprised because they did not know about the case of the Guri workers. Just like him, there were prosecutors who didn’t know. They told me that it is mandatory to present them, but it is not known exactly when they will be presented. If they are under investigation, why don’t they let people see? For me, this is a kidnapping,” the complainant concluded.
According to what was expressed in Caracas by organizations that handle these cases, family members must wait for at least 45 days to pass for the presentation to take place and to obtain information from the Prosecutor’s Office.
“All this has to do with a political issue. In Guri there is a WhatsApp group. The day after the elections, the 29th, a person wrote to celebrate that President Maduro had won. Immediately there were workers who wrote that they did not agree, let them see how they live… Among them Manuel. Everyone wrote. A person was in charge of taking screenshots and printed that. We knew that he gave that information to his superiors and then they arrested them all. In fact, a former colleague who emigrated reported what they had done with the WhatsApp complaints. How are you going to do that to your co-workers knowing that the topic of politics is so strong?” concluded a family member interviewed.
#Families #report #workers #detained #Guri #blackout #missing #month
2024-09-30 16:01:25
