The meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 18, starting at 10:00 am, in the Parque Carabobo square, in Caracas. Through its social networks, the Committee explained that the objective of the event is to create a space “to denounce, testify, demand answers to our complaints and accompany those who are unjustly deprived of liberty for political reasons.”
The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners announced the call for the first edition of “Presence of Hope”, a civic day that seeks to make complaints visible, accompany family members and demand responses from the State regarding arrests for political reasons in Venezuela.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 18, starting at 10:00 am, in the Parque Carabobo square, in Caracas.
Through its social networks, the Committee explained that the objective of the event is to create a space “to denounce, testify, demand answers to our complaints and accompany those who are unjustly deprived of liberty for political reasons.” The initiative brings together mothers, family members, friends, human rights defenders and citizens of faith and good will.
Handkerchiefs, prayer and testimonies
During the day, attendees will make handkerchiefs with names and messages of hope, offer a collective prayer for political prisoners and share testimonies about the arrests, the impact on families and the absence of official information about many of the cases.
The Committee also reported that that day they will submit new complaints to the corresponding institutions and formally request responses, protected by article 51 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to petition.
A permanent presence
“Our objective is clear and legitimate: to maintain a constant, humane, peaceful and civic presence to demand truth, justice and freedom,” the organizers noted. They also invited attendees to wear a white scarf, a symbol of the activity, as well as their voice and faith.
“We return together. And we will return as many times as necessary,” they stated, in reference to the decision to sustain continuous public actions until they achieve the release of those they consider unjustly detained.
The call comes in a context marked by a sustained increase in complaints of arbitrary detentions, brief forced disappearances and opaque judicial processes, according to human rights organizations that monitor the Venezuelan prison system.
*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 was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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