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Raúl Isaías Baduel, considered a “political prisoner”, died in prison due to a cardiorespiratory arrest attributed to Covid-19. Politicians and relatives of Baduel mourned his death. The former Venezuelan general was a faithful ally of Hugo Chávez until 2007, when he began to show himself against the constitutional reform.
Former Defense Minister and former Venezuelan military officer Raúl Isaías Baduel died in prison at the age of 66. It was due to a cardiac arrest attributed to Covid-19. The opposition, who considered him a “political prisoner” since his arrest in 2009, mourned his death. The news was released by the attorney general, Tarek William Saab.
“We regret the death of Raúl Isaías Baduel from a cardiorespiratory arrest caused by covid-19, while the corresponding medical care was applied and having received the first dose of the vaccine. We convey our condolences to his family and friends,” wrote Saab in his twitter account.
The former deputy, Juan Guaidó, also spoke about it. “General Raúl Baduel was assassinated by the dictatorship. He was kidnapped, tortured and denied medical attention. After 12 years of brutal suffering, Baduel is the tenth political prisoner to die at the hands of the regime,” he wrote in the same social network.
General Raúl Baduel was assassinated by the dictatorship. He kidnapped him, tortured him and denied him medical attention.
After 12 years of brutal suffering, Baduel is the 10th political prisoner to die at the hands of the regime.
Today more than 250 Venezuelans remain at risk as hostages of the dictatorship. pic.twitter.com/EHBFBkprKy
– Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) October 13, 2021
In a separate tweet, he assured that “atrocities like this reiterate that in Venezuela DD are systematically violated. H H. These crimes cannot go unpunished and the silence of our Armed Forces makes them accomplices ”. And he took the opportunity to offer his condolences to Baduel’s loved ones. “Our condolences to the General’s family and the entire military family at this difficult time,” he said.
Similar words were given by former MP Miguel Pizarro. He said that “the death of a prisoner in the custody of the State represents negligence, irresponsibility and the little care that exists in the Venezuelan penal system.”
Delsa Solórzano, the former parliamentarian, indicated that the relatives and lawyers of the recently deceased were tortured and treated cruelly. In addition, he assured that “they violated article 43 of the Constitution, which states that the life of those deprived of liberty is their responsibility.”
Andreina Baduel, the general’s daughter, had already requested quality of life and respect for her father on September 29. “We demand to verify their conditions, we demand a proof of life. Enough already,” he said. This, as a consequence of the transfer of his father from the basements of Sebin, to another headquarters of the intelligence service in Caracas.
Who was Raúl Isaías Baduel?
Raúl Isaía Baduel was a Venezuelan military and politician. He was a faithful ally of Hugo Chávez, former president of Venezuela. In fact, in 2002, he spearheaded his return to power. He was also Commander General of the Army of his country and Minister of Defense.
However, in 2007, the situation took a radical turn when Baduel began to show himself against the constitutional reform promoted by Chávez and the National Assembly. It led to harsh criticism against the Chavista government and also against Nicolás Maduro. Something that cost him his freedom.
In 2009, he was arrested and disqualified from holding public office until the end of his sentence. And although the regime restored his parole in 2015, he returned to jail in 2017, where he remained until his death. According to the Justice of the Caribbean country, Baduel had breached certain premises.
His case has been reviewed by Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and by the Fact-Finding Mission.
With EFE
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