Penal Forum confirms that there are 1,305 detainees following post-election protests

Foro Penal confirmed that the number of detainees by the State security forces, following the protests against the presidential election results announced by the National Electoral Council, in the early hours of July 29, rose to 1,305.

The president of the organization, Alfredo Romero, confirmed to Infobae what Most of the detainees are young people, whose average age is “20 years old”; and stressed that none of the detainees are allowed to have communication with their families or the right to private defense, an action that he considers new in the way the State exercises repression.

According to the latest report from the NGO, dated August 11 at 8:00 am, 117 are teenagers; 14 are people from indigenous communities; 16 of those arrested are people with disabilities; and 172 are women.

“The regular, let’s say new, pattern that occurred with regard to these indiscriminate arrests is the restriction of the right to defense. Private defense is not permitted. The State Defender is appointed and hearings are held with people locked up in detention centers.mostly without allowing the detainee access to any communication with the outside world. There is also no communication with family members. This has obviously not allowed us to know the physical state or health condition of the person. Because they have not been seen, they have not been spoken to, we have not been able to confirm this; including minors who have not had, for the most part, the possibility of having their relatives speak to them and see them.Romero said.

Death toll

So far, Foro Penal has only been able to confirm the death of 11 people during the post-election protests. However, they do not rule out that there are more, as they have reports but The organization is currently carrying out the corresponding verifications.

«We are in the process of identification and verification, and There has been no official information from the State. in this regard, which is therefore doubtful and confusing.

He stressed that There is fear and therefore the process becomes more complex.

“However, we have spoken with relatives, we have identified them in different places, but there is a lot of fear of making a statement and giving specific information, for example, about the morgues, the hospitals… We are in the process of verification and we are also here to determine whether they really died in the demonstrations or not.. It’s not that simple.