After two months and nine days, Derika was able to see her son for the first time since detention. There were no hugs or kisses. Only a wide table in the middle of both, which prevented at least the mother from touching the young man’s finger.detained during the context of the post-election demonstrations in La Guaira.
The young man did not look his mother in the eyes. And although she tried to give him strength by asking him to have faith because he would soon be free, he told her that Tocuyito prison “is hell.”
“He told me: ‘Mom, I don’t recommend this to anyone, this is hell, the food is terrible‘, he eats it because he doesn’t want to die of hunger. ‘In the cell we treat each other well. Some custodians do treat you well, others don’t,’ he said,” the mother recalls.
Humberto Prado, director of the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory (OVP), explained that The State does not offer proper food to those deprived of liberty, which must be balanced and contain a minimum of 3000 calories, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
“When family members manage to see their loved ones, they do not recognize them because of the situation they are in, they see them malnourished and pale. The care provided by the State to those deprived of liberty must be comprehensive, with the right to adequate food, health, studies, culture and recreation.”
Relatives are concerned about the feeding of those detained in the context of the demonstrations, transferred to the maximum security prison in Tocuyito, Carabobo state. The custodians do not receive packages from relatives or medicines for the sick.
The mothers consulted by the OVP said that Prisoners eat a dry and thin arepa, have pasta with meat or rice with meat for lunch, and grains for dinner. They also reported that they are given water twice a day.
“Imagine, drinking water, something so basic, they can’t do it whenever they want,” said another mother.
According to the complaints collected, there are prisoners who have stomach pains, constant bowel movements or, on the contrary, spend up to 15 days without being able to go to the bathroom. “I had to give my son an enema.”
The food received by the young detainees, who were transferred to the Tocorón prison, in the state of Aragua, is also deficient, in the opinion of their relatives. They also consume water that is not drinkable.
“He tells me that he feels sick to his stomach, that they have to strain the water because it is not drinkable, not even a dog is given water like that. “I don’t want to visit my son through glass, I want him free and healthy,” said Yuleisy Romero.
Yuleisy, who is a nurse, lives in La Guaira. He visited his son in Tocorón after more than two months without seeing him. After a three-hour trip, he was able to see the young man for only 10 minutes, a time allowed by the guards. Additionally, he spent $25 between the ticket and his meal.
“They are held in inhumane conditions.”They don’t have the right to drink water as many times as they want, dinner is at 4:00 pm It’s a lie that they play sports or take them out on the patio, they are locked in a cell for 24 hours, my son is dark and yellow. What he does is sleep to not think, he is in a cell with two people and has only one uniform for a week.”
Carolina Jaiménez Sandoval, president of the Washington Office on Latin American Affairs, spoke before the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) about the situation in Venezuela, after the July 28 elections. He emphasized the arrests and especially the 68 adolescents deprived of liberty, accused of terrorism.
“In addition to the arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances and selective repression against human rights defenders and journalists were added. There are 13 journalists deprived of liberty, trade unionists and political and community leaders. As a consequence of this repression, we see with great concern a civic space that is becoming more suffocated every day,” he said in his speech on October 2.
vexatious search
The women who, after two months, were able to visit those deprived of liberty in the Tocorón and Tocuyito prisons, were victims of harassment during the searchbefore entering the visit.
They reported that they had to take off their clothes and, naked, they told her to bend over and push. They checked their mouths and hair.
“Before entering they told us that we could not touch them, grab them, give them a kiss, anything, that if they saw contact they would take the detainee from us and take him away. At all times we have a custodian on each of our backs.”
The women left the visit without knowing when they will be able to see them again; they must wait for a call from the penitentiary to confirm when to return. “They call us to tell us that there is a visit, but then they call us to cancel too.”
Prado recalled that the Venezuelan State violates the Constitution of the Republic of Venezuela and mentioned article 272, which establishes that it must guarantee respect for the human rights of those deprived of liberty; as well as article 49, the content of which is summarized in that private defense and legal assistance are inviolable rights.
“And paragraph two of article 49 specifically says that every person is innocent until proven otherwise, an issue that is different in Venezuela because first they detain you, they beat you and then they see that you are innocent and they do not give you freedom,” he indicated.
He added that paragraph 2 of article 44 of the CRV indicates that detainees have the right to immediately communicate with family members, lawyers or a person they trust. “This principle is not respected here either since they impose public defense and the family members do not communicate in a timely manner with the inmates.”
Actions without responses from the State
On Wednesday, October 3, the Committee of Mothers in Defense of the Truth, made up of relatives of those deprived of liberty in the context of the demonstrations in Caracas and La Guaira, submitted an appeal for protection to the Supreme Court of Justice in which they denounced violations of the rights of adolescents and young people.
“We demand the right to full freedom, nullity of all charges, the right to private and trusted defense. At the Ombudsman’s Office they only tell us to wait and have faith that it is a long road.”
Also on September 26, they delivered a letter to the Public Ministry, addressed to Tarek William Saab, to demand the full freedom of the young people. However, they have not received responses.
Prado recalled that the Public Ministry and the Ombudsman violate article 51 of the Constitution of the Republic, which indicates: “Every person has the right to represent or direct petitions before any authority, public official or public official on the matters that are within their competence, and to obtain a timely and adequate response. “Those who violate this right will be sanctioned in accordance with the law, and may be dismissed from the respective position.”
Venezuelan Prison Observatory Press
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2024-10-06 20:33:11
