Relatives of political prisoners protest in Caracas for their freedom and dignified treatment

A group of relatives of those considered “political prisoners” in Venezuela protested this Wednesday in Caracas to demand their immediate release, as well as “dignified treatment” for these “unfairly” detained people, the vast majority after the presidential elections on July 28.

About 50 relatives and activists gathered outside the Helicoide – headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) – with images of some of the 1,887 people who, according to the NGO Penal Forumare imprisoned for political reasons.

Aurora Silva, wife of opposition leader Freddy Superlano, said that her partner spent 120 days detained in El Helicoide this Wednesday and without being able to see his family or designate a private defense.

Call to justice: Aurora Silva, wife of @freddysuperlanoask the @IntlCrimCourt advance in the case of Venezuela 👇pic.twitter.com/nELvp7zGWi

— Norexa Rompapas (@norexarompapas) November 27, 2024

“I still don’t know how he is, I still don’t know his state of health,” said the woman, for whom these people are detained for fighting for democracy and “freedom” in Venezuela, under Chavismo since 1999.

He called on the international community not to abandon them and to “keep their eyes” on the country, where – he denounced – “they have violated the rights” of “all” the “political prisoners.”

For his part, Francis Fernández indicated that his husband, journalist Carlos Julio Rojas, has been detained for seven months for “thinking differently.”

“I’m tired of coming every day to meet insensitive officials who don’t have a little bit of care, not even when addressing family members,” said Fernández, who hopes there will be a “miracle” to have “a Christmas without political prisoners.” ”.

Both were joined by Carol Figueredo, wife of the opposition Pedro Guanipa – former director of the Mayor’s Office of Maracaibo (Zulia state), arrested in September – who also denounced that “all his rights” are “denied.”

#Live | 4:58 PM Carol Figueredo de Guanipa, wife of Pedro Guanipa: We need to know how he is, how he feels, what his state of mind is. I ask for strength to keep us in this fight for as long as necessary.
He points out that every day he must come to Helicoide to deliver… pic.twitter.com/7mr2LvPtLs

— TalCual (@DiarioTalCual) November 27, 2024

“We need to know how they are, how they feel, how their health is, their state of mind,” said the woman, who said she suffered “physical, mental and economic exhaustion” when moving to Caracas from Zulia, where she lives.

Political crisis drives protests for political prisoners

In recent weeks, relatives of “political prisoners” have carried out numerous protests to demand the release of their loved ones, some of them near penitentiary centers in different regions, and are preparing to attend the call of the majority opposition to a “great vigil” in Caracas next Sunday, December 1.

Meanwhile, the crisis unleashed after the elections continues, in which President Nicolás Maduro was proclaimed the winner by the electoral body, a result considered fraudulent by the majority opposition, which insists on the victory of its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia.

On November 16, the attorney general, Tarek William Saab, assured that 225 freedom measures were “granted and executed” – about which he did not give details – to detainees following the post-election protests, although Foro Penal claims to have registered and verified – until last Saturday – the release of 169 people.

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