- The organization recalled that the Constitution establishes that the State must guarantee political participation, without discrimination
The non-governmental organization (NGO) Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP) published the report on October 17 Political rights of the Venezuelan prison populationin which the lack of guarantees for people deprived of liberty to exercise the vote, considered a fundamental human right, is denounced.
The study determined that, of 42,863 prisoners, only 9.21% had the right to vote in the presidential elections of July 28. Humberto Prado, director of the NGO, explained that the Venezuelan State only set up 18 of 38 voting centers (47.36%) in prisons throughout the national territory.
The organization expressed its concern about the lack of information on the remaining 52.64% and the omission of public data, such as the number of people deprived of liberty with the right to vote. They highlighted that the law allows detainees awaiting trial to vote, since the presumption of innocence is a key principle of justice.
The law does not allow sentenced inmates to vote.
“Imprisonment is unfortunately confused, a person deprived of liberty does not lose the right to vote while it is being investigated whether he is guilty or innocent. Their rights remain intact until the sentence is final,” said the human rights defender.
Lack of access to information for the prison population in Venezuela
Humberto Prado also highlighted that in the electoral elections, the penitentiary and electoral authorities did not offer information in time on the number of inmates authorized to vote. Nor, according to the data in the report, was the NGO able to find out whether data updating sessions were carried out or how the logistics of transferring prisoners to the voting centers were managed, if required.
Furthermore, the organization did not obtain data on the voting process in preventive detention centers, which are overwhelmed due to overcrowding.
“It is sad to see how the Venezuelan State violates the rights of people deprived of liberty. On July 28, the statements of the Minister of the Penitentiary Service (Julio García Zerpa) left much to be desired, there was no guarantee of the right to vote as a human right,” Prado added.
The OVP highlighted that no concrete measures have been adopted to guarantee effective access to the rights of the inmate population to vote, which is why they allege “little will to form a humanist penitentiary system with respect for the human rights of inmates.”
A call before the presidential elections in Venezuela
On July 10, 2024, Humberto Prado asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) to guarantee voting for the prison population who have not been sentenced, when there were 18 days left until the presidential elections.
The general director of the OVP explained to EFE that people who have not been sentenced represent 70% of the population in prisons and 85% of those in “the dungeons,” which is why he asked the CNE to guarantee for this population the right to vote, since being prisoners they are in “a vulnerable condition.”
The human rights defender recalled that the Constitution establishes that voting “is a right and a duty of citizens, free, universal, direct and secret” and determines that the State must guarantee to all people the “exercise of human rights.” ”, which includes political participation, without discrimination.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the Venezuelan State “must guarantee” unconvicted prisoners “the enjoyment of their rights,” which is why it must “implement measures to guarantee the right to vote.”
“Otherwise, it would be going against the principles of equality, non-discrimination and justice that support Venezuela as a democratic and social country of Law and Justice,” the spokesperson concluded.
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