the emotional letter from one of the teenagers detained in the post-electoral context
Mariana González’s spark has faded. Since her arrest on July 29 in Carabobo, this 16-year-old teenager has been drowned by anguish and the despair of someone who is imprisoned for a crime that – he says – he has not committed.
From the center where she is held, in the state of Carabobo, and through letters that she sends to her mother, Jenifer Febles, Mariana shows how hopelessness takes over her. His voice, which joins that of many others, reveals the difficult situation in which a large part – if not all – of the young people detained since the presidential elections of July 28 find themselves.
«If I can’t be with you, I don’t want to be with anyone else. I prefer to die (…) Sometimes I want to hurt myself. “I can’t take it anymore.”
This is the feeling of Mariana González, expressed to her mother in a letter, after 4 months of detention… pic.twitter.com/xWMuzLtdaE
— Human Rights Vente Venezuela (@VenteDDHH) December 3, 2024
The weight of loneliness captured in a letter
In the letter, the young woman describes the state of emotional and physical exhaustion that she suffers, and states that she feels “without strength, without desire to live”. In addition, he expresses anguish at not being able to celebrate the upcoming Christmas holidays with his loved ones.
“I miss you so much, mom. I have anxiety and a lot of depression,” says Mariana. “I need family,” she adds, revealing the deep loneliness she feels when separated from those close to her. With every word you feel the weight of the distance and uncertainty that has surrounded her since she was detained on July 29 by local police while returning home after an outing with her boyfriend.
«Four months without being with you, without attending my studies, without my life. They took everything from me and, the truth is, I don’t deserve this. I feel like every day everything is getting more and more complicated for me, I don’t want to spend Christmas without my family. Every night I ask God to give me strength and help me, I feel like I can’t take it anymore and that I am left without strength,” the letter reads.
The feeling of helplessness is repeated in another letter, in which he speaks to his mother about his confinement and cries for his freedom. Furthermore, he thanks him for his accompaniment and support since his arrest. «I thank you for everything you have done for me, for not leaving me alone at any time. “I love you with my soul, because the soul never dies.”
Mariana, according to her mother, had the dream of being part of one of the State security forces. However, the suffering she has gone through has made her question her professional future.
The teenager’s words have worried Febles, since they reveal an unstable emotional state. «I don’t want to make you feel bad, but if I can’t be with you, I don’t want to be with anyone. I prefer to die. “Sometimes I want to hurt myself (…) I want to kill myself rather than continue suffering,” the girl wrote.
Mariana González, Maduro’s prisoner
Since the July elections, Venezuela has witnessed an alarming increase in arbitrary detentions. The official figures for post-election arrests accounted for 2,400 people. Young people like Mariana, who only seek a better future, have become the target of a system that does not tolerate dissent.
In interviews, Febles has recounted through tears how her daughter was detained, and the procedural delay in the case. He insists on asking for Mariana’s release so that the young woman can continue with her life.
NGOs such as Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón have created campaigns in favor of adolescents who remain in police custody to demand speed in the legal process and the freedom of young people.
Mariana González is a 16-year-old girl, a student, happy, who likes to sing and dance.
His spark and smile faded after his arrest in the days after the elections. She longs and deserves to return to the warmth of her home next to her family.
Let’s stop… pic.twitter.com/RDi2cWiZgX
— Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness (@JEPvzla) November 17, 2024
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