Tarek William Saab called political prisoners murderers and extremists

The attorney general, Tarek William Saab, reiterated this Monday that 28 people were “murdered” by the “badly called commandos” – groups of political campaign organization of the opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia – after the presidential elections on July 28, while ensuring that “there is not a single complaint” that links these deaths to any state security body.

«“Are they political prisoners or are they criminals? (…) I want to remember that 28 people were murdered by those so-called commanders, 195 people were injured, 98 civilians and 97 military and police officials, 486 property was affected,” he said.

In a broadcast on the state channel VTV, Saab inreported on the investigation of cases that he called “emblematic,” such as the “homicide” of First Sergeant José Antonio Torrents Blanca, 26 years old, who – according to the prosecutor – was shot in the neck on July 29 in the state of Aragua.

For this fact, he explained, Reyner José Márquez Velásquez was arrested, who “is seen (in a video) carrying a firearm in the vicinity of the homicide.”

«He is not a political prisoner. “He is a murderer,” said Saab, who indicated that another person with an arrest warrant is on the run.

Likewise, he mentioned the death of Mayauri Silva, 49 years old. She served as spokesperson for a UBCh (Bolívar-Chávez Battle Unit) and was “sieged” in Aragua.

«She was chased and, on the night of August 3, she was intercepted by a subject who shot her three times at random. “Then he fled on a motorcycle with the help of two other men,” said the prosecutor.

Saab assures that it is looking for those responsible

According to Saab, these individuals “acted on the orders and under the payment of Fernando Venancio Martínez” – now detained – whom he described as a “mercenary.” Two other people were arrested for this incident.

In addition, another person is on the run and a fifth person involved “was killed when facing a police commission,” he said.

The official did not personalize the cases of the rest of the victims or detail whether they were also Chavistas or opponents.

After the presidential elections, massive protests broke out against the official result that gave Nicolás Maduro’s re-election, a victory that the largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), considers fraudulent.

The Prosecutor’s Office reported that more than 2,400 people were detained in this context, whom it accused of causing “vandalism” and “violence.” Meanwhile, the PUD accuses the state security forces of “repression.”

The NGO Foro Penal, which leads the defense of “political prisoners” in Venezuela, indicated that 1,903 people remain imprisoned for “dissenting from the government.” Most of them arrested after July 28.

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