- The NGO denounced that the actions represent a political and systematic repression once morest political leaders and dissidents / Main photo: Adriana Núñez
The non-governmental organization (NGO) Foro Penal warned of an increase in political prisoners in Venezuela. Alfredo Romero, president of the NGO, indicated on Tuesday, July 16, that there are 301 people detained for political reasons in the country.
Romero said that at least 102 of the arrests were related to the team of leader María Corina Machado or were collaborators or opposition leaders in the country’s interior.
This week, 11 people were arrested, which is a significant number and it seems that the arrests will continue,” Romero said in a press conference held for the media on July 16.
The lawyer said that of the 301 political prisoners, 93 have not completed their judicial proceedings and are awaiting possible preventive measures for freedom.
Romero clarified that, of the total number of political prisoners in the country, there are currently 152 military personnel and 149 civilians. Of this number, 27 are women and 274 are men.
Foro Penal highlighted that all these imprisonments translate into human rights violations that are now being recorded in the context of the Venezuelan political and electoral scenario.
Recent cases of arrests in Venezuela
On July 14, Foro Penal denounced the arrest of singer Wilmer Ramón Álvarez Vargas, known as Willy Alvarezat a checkpoint of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) in Táchira state.
Álvarez is the author of a song to liven up the campaign events of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) and was charged with the crime of resisting authority.
On July 13, the NGO confirmed that three people were arrested in Carabobo state for political reasons. The first two were identified as Elisaul Rodríguez and Miere Eduardo Aguilar, who provided logistics for the truck that transported Machado and candidate Edmundo González Urrutia during the mobilization in the state. The last citizen has not been identified.
For his part, the director of the Penal Forum, Gonzalo Himiob, said that they received the report of the arrest of opposition political activists in Guanare, Portuguesa state.
On July 13, Maria Oropeza, state coordinator of Vente Venezuela in Portuguesa, reported that police officers raided the home of Mary Rodriguez, campaign director of the Capital Guanare parish.
Rodríguez was arrested along with Mayra Montilla, who is also part of María Corina Machado’s campaign.
The report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented his new policy during an interactive dialogue with the organization’s member states on July 3. Update on the situation in Venezuela
The official said that human rights violations in the country continue to be exacerbated by the actions of government authorities.
The High Commissioner referred to the detention of activists Rocío San Miguel and Carlos Julio Rojas, who have not had access to lawyers of their choice for their defense. In this regard, he demanded the release of all those arbitrarily detained, including Javier Tarazona, director of Fundaredes, who has been “unjustly” detained for three years.
“Since May 2023, we have documented 28 arrests of people with dissident views. These practices must end immediately. I urge accountability for those who are victims of repression,” he said.
Türk also expressed concern regarding the ill-treatment of prisoners and relatives, as well as the lack of access to timely legal assistance.
“People continue to be charged with terrorism charges that do not comply with human rights standards,” he added.
The official said there are problems with the right to a fair trial. In this regard, he said that they have documented 29 cases of people being tried in the last year. He also indicated that the detainees have no contact with lawyers or relatives, which constitutes the perpetration of a forced disappearance.
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2024-07-16 22:48:51
