Provea shared a video where the Con Venezuela activists in Yaracuy, Judith Yépez and her husband Germán Aponte are victims of harassment and stigmatizing campaigns by the mayor of the Peña municipality in the Yaracuy state, Juan Manuel Paradas.
The human rights organization Provea denounced on the afternoon of this Friday, January 17, the persecution and harassment against Con Venezuela activists in Yaracuy. This is Judith Yépez, lawyer, and her husband Germán Aponte.
The organization shared a video where Yépez indicates that he has been the victim of a campaign of harassment and criminalization by Conas, as well as the arbitrary arrests of his son Carlos Aponte and his nephew Germán Antillano.
“Judith and Germán are activists of Voluntarios Con Venezuela and have faced harassment for their work, after having reported abuses by Juan Manuel Paradas, mayor of the Peña municipality in the Yaracuy state,” says Provea on the social network X.
Persecution and harassment against Volunteer activists with #Venezuela in Yaracuy.
Judith Yépez, lawyer, together with her husband Germán Aponte, denounce a campaign of harassment and criminalization by CONAS against them, and arbitrary arrests of their son Carlos Aponte and nephew… pic.twitter.com/AXlClgMuG0
— PROVEA (@_Provea) January 17, 2025
*Read also: Penal Forum counts 1,687 political prisoners in Venezuela until #15Jan
The organization indicates that since the post-election protests in 2024, Judith demanded justice for the murder of a young protester, which led to the mayor of the Peña municipality, Juan Paradas, leading public stigmatization campaigns against her. On January 8, 2025, after a radio program by the mayor, Conas published a flyer calling them “terrorism” and “conspiracy.”
The next day, Thursday, January 9, Conas officials raided and vandalized the family’s homes in Yaritagua, taking Carlos Aponte, an Economics student, and Germán Antillanochef, under threats and without a court order. Both were transferred to Caracas, charged without evidence, and were placed in preventive detention at the Conas headquarters in San Felipe, says Provea.
“The family reports that during the raids, personal property, documents and electronic equipment were stolen, as well as intimidation. The actions seek to force the surrender of Judith and Germán Aponte, who remain protected to protect their integrity,” the organization warned.
Judith Yépez demanded the immediate release of Carlos Aponte and Germán Antillano, “victims of an unfair process and violations of due process.” “In Venezuela, being the son or nephew of a political activist is not a crime,” he said.
The harassment has also included cutting off electricity to the clinic the family runs in Yaritagua, affecting their livelihood and medical services to the community. “We demand justice and an end to the attacks against the Voluntarios Con Venezuela activists and civilians who exercised their political rights,” the organization recalled.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content is being published taking into consideration the threats and limits that have consequently been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
Post Views: 411
