Yendri Velásquez was detained at the Maiquetía International Airport, at approximately 3:00 pm, after being approached by two people who told him that his passport had been cancelled. Since then, they lost communication with him until after 9:00 pm when his family confirmed that he was with them and safe.
After being held for approximately six hours at Maiquetía International Airport, at around 9:00 pm on Saturday, August 3, activist and human rights defender Yendri Velásquez, director of the Venezuelan Observatory of LGBTQ+ Violence, was released.
Velásquez was preparing to travel to Geneva, Switzerland, to participate in the 113th Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination.
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His father, Omar Velásquez, reported through his X account that after 4:00 p.m., he did not know the whereabouts of his son and therefore demanded his immediate release.
I inform you that my son Yendri Omar Velásquez was detained today 08/03/24, at the Maiquetia airport.
We do not know his whereabouts and we request his immediate release. #Cofavic #UN— Omar Velasquez (@omarguarenas) August 3, 2024
The confirmed information is that Velásquez was detained in the immigration area of the airport and told that his passport had been cancelled. Human rights organizations began a campaign to demand his release, since they were only able to learn that the activist was approached by two people, and subsequently they were unable to establish communication with him because his cell phone was turned off.
WE INFORM that at this time @yendrive He is now with his family.
THANK YOU all for helping us spread this information.
— LGBTIQ+ Violence Observatory 🇻🇪 (@ovlgbtiq) August 4, 2024
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