A group of 112 former Chevening program fellows, from different countries, demanded the immediate release of the activist Jesús Armas detained in Venezuela on December 10, 2024 for his work in defense of human rights and democracy.
Through a statement released this Thursday, the signatories warned about the detention conditions in El Helicoide and other penitentiary centers where political prisoners remain in the country. According to the document, at least 17 people have died in state custody Venezuelan since 2014, including former governor Alfredo Díaz, who was also held in that facility.
The former scholarship recipients maintain that Armas’ detention “is part of the systematic patterns of repression, political persecution and State terrorism in Venezuela”, facts that – they assure – have been widely documented by human rights organizations and by multilateral organizations such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the UN Independent International Mission to Determine the Facts about Venezuela.
In this context, the signatories demanded the immediate release of Armas and the rest of the country’s political prisoners. Furthermore, they express their expectation that the activist can spend Christmas 2025 with your family and resume their work in favor of “building a prosperous, democratic and inclusive future for Venezuela.”
The Chevening program is a UK government initiative that funds postgraduate studies for emerging leaders from around the world. The signatories of the statement – professionals from various areas and from countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, China, India, Syria and Mexico – highlighted that their statement reflects international support for the work of Arms and the Chevening community’s commitment to upholding fundamental rights and the rule of law.
