- Opposition representatives demanded at the Unicef headquarters in Spain the immediate release of minors detained in the post-electoral context
On October 21, members of different opposition parties in Venezuela delivered a letter to the headquarters of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Madrid, Spain, to denounce the “serious violations” of human rights suffered by children and adolescents. detained in the country.
In the letter, the complainants indicated that there are 142 boys, girls and detained teenagers70 of them held in centers with “inhumane conditions”, which they consider to be unsuitable for their age and condition, in violation of international standards.
In the document they demand the immediate release of these young Venezuelans because the conditions include overcrowding, lack of access to basic health services, poor nutrition and lack of protection against physical and psychological abuse.
Furthermore, the opposition representatives indicated in the letter that the adolescents have been “tortured with electric shocks, beatings, lack of food or even sexual abuse.”
“We trust and are sure that Unicef will take a step forward in this and immediately demand the release of all these children who are arbitrarily deprived of their liberty,” said the coordinator of the Comando Venezuela organization, María Gabriela Olavarría, in statements to the media.
The complaint will be replicated in other countries
Olavarría added that this complaint to the Unicef headquarters in Madrid will be presented in other cities around the world, both in Latin America and Europe, to bring the voice of the Venezuelan mothers affected by the situation.
“We are talking about children who should be going to school and instead are receiving abuse, torture and psychological abuse,” added the coordinator of the Venezuela Command.
Likewise, he stated that in Venezuela there is no rule of law or any type of guarantees that ensure the well-being of detained adolescents.
“It is a cruel regime that does not respect either the disabled or the elderly and we have seen, at this moment, how our children and adolescents do not have their human rights respected either,” Olavarría pointed out.
They ask for international support
The document details the current situation of some detained adolescents, such as the case of a 17-year-old girl, who was arrested for forwarding a message with information rejecting the government against the results of the process of December 28. July announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) through a WhatsApp group.
“All countries have to speak out because this has nothing to do with left or right nor with an issue of political ideology, this has to do with human rights. What is happening in Venezuela is aberrant,” Olavarría demanded.
In that sense, the political coordinator said that they hope that there will be a statement from the international community or actions to guarantee that detention centers are special for children and adolescents.
University students detained in Venezuela
Venezuelan authorities are detaining at least 15 university studentswhich were captured in the context of the post-election crisis, the Human Rights Observatory of the University of Los Andes (ODH-ULA) reported on October 9.
In a press release, the organization explained that a total of 45 young people were apprehended in the context of the post-election crisis, but it estimates that 30 have already been released, although some of them are subject to precautionary measures – such as periodic appearances before courts – or sanctions. administrative.
“At least 15 remain in prison, accused of crimes of terrorism, incitement to hatred, treason, conspiracy and resistance to authority,” the letter highlights.
The young people are students of universities such as the autonomous Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Universidad de Carabobo (UC), Universidad de Oriente (UDO) and the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB).
With information from EFE
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