Mothers of teenagers imprisoned in Venezuela for participating in demonstrations against the regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro, who rigged the July elections, intensified their demands last week for the release of their children, denouncing not only the arbitrary deprivation of their freedom, but also cases of torture and mistreatment perpetrated by agents of Chavismo in the prisons where these minors were taken.
According to the NGO Foro Penal, which is counting the number of political prisoners in Venezuela, there are still 58 minors imprisoned in the South American country, many of them in worrying physical and psychological conditions. According to information from the Venezuelan portal Cocuyo Effectduring a press conference held in Caracas last Friday (13), mothers and family members of eight of these teenagers gathered to voice their complaints, highlighting the physical and mental deterioration of minors in prisons.
Adelaida Herrera, mother of 17-year-old Bleider José Herrera, was one of those who decided to break the silence and publicly call for justice.
“I ask the authorities to release all the minors who are in prison. My son has a spinal deformity and every time I visit him, he gets worse,” said Herrera, who does not hide her despair at seeing her son’s health deteriorate. According to the Cocuyo Effect, Bleider has been detained since July 31, following demonstrations that took place in the country in protest against Nicolás Maduro’s fraud.
Another mother who shared her suffering with Cocuyo Effect was Theany Urbina, whose son, Miguel Alejandro Urbina, 16, was arrested in early August. According to Theany, the young man was forcibly removed from a gathering with friends and taken to a detention center in Caracas.
“He told me that they tried to force him to record a video confessing that he was being paid to participate in the protests. When he refused, he was attacked,” he reported, highlighting the fear he feels when imagining what his son is going through. In one conversation, Miguel even begged: “Get me out of here, Mom, I never want to be in jail again. This is horrible. Tell my sisters that I asked God for forgiveness for all my mistakes and that I will be a better person.”
Reports of torture and mistreatment inside Venezuelan prisons are not new, however, after the blatant fraud of Chavismo, they have gained increasing attention, with relatives of political prisoners choosing to make the reports public in the hope that exposure will speed up their release.
Neryda Ruiz, mother of Ángel Moisés Ramírez, another 16-year-old arrested after the anti-Chavismo protests, said that her son was not physically attacked, but other cellmates were not so lucky.
“He told me that they didn’t attack him or cause him any harm, but other classmates of his were beaten,” said Neryda, emphasizing the anguish of seeing her son’s future at a standstill, since Ángel was about to start his final year of accounting at a technical school.
“My son is already 45 days old, but there are other children who have been here for more than 50 days. The requirement is that they give us attention,” said Neryda.
As reported by Cocuyothe routine of family members is being marked by the difficulty of maintaining contact with the young prisoners. Visits, restricted to two days a week, are moments of tension and frustration.
Family members say they are trying to bring food, clothes and even water to the teenagers. There are no supplies at the jail, Adelaida Herrera said, describing the precarious conditions at the El Cementerio detention center in Caracas, where her son and other minors are being held.
The arrests of minors are part of a broader crackdown by the Maduro regime following the fraudulent elections, which resulted in the arrest of more than 1,800 people, 129 of whom were minors. Although more than 60 teenagers have already been released, the NGO Foro Penal warns that 58 young people still remain in detention, many of them without any expectation of trial or resolution of their cases.
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