Nightly, relatives of political prisoners detained in El Rodeo I prison They climb a hill near the prison to try to communicate with the inmates, given the restrictions on visits and the lack of regular contact.
With lit candles and taking advantage of the silence of the place, the women call their relatives from a distance. The exchange begins when someone shouts “Heard”, to which from inside they respond: “How are you?” The conversation continues with short phrases that seek to confirm the status of both sides: “We are fine, how are you?”
The vegetation prevents any visual contact, so voices become the only possible link between the detainees and their families. According to those close to him, in-person visits are limited fifteen minutes a week behind glass, which has led to these informal communications being established from outside the prison.
During the exchanges, family members report on the country’s political situation and progress of the amnesty approved by the National Assembly, while the inmates describe their conditions of detention and reiterate their demands for release.
“Freedom for all those kidnapped, we ask for mass liberation,” shouted one of the prisoners, followed by collective slogans demanding “justice” and “freedom.”
The conversations also include complaints directed at the authorities. From the hill it was heard: “All rights of political prisoners have been violated“What are you waiting for to release the people?”
The relatives also tried to send a message to the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, promoter of the amnesty, although the message could not be transmitted clearly.
According to official figures, the measure has allowed the full release of 223 people and the lifting of precautionary measures for another 4,534. However, the NGO Pena ForumHe maintains that there are still around 568 political prisoners in the country, without precise information on how many are still held in El Rodeo I.
Hunger strike and international calls
Last weekend, the inmates They started a hunger strike to demand his release.. Those released from prison have indicated that foreign citizens also remain in the prison, including the Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo, detained in December 2024 after entering from Colombia.
During one of the recent nights, from inside the prison the Colombian anthem was heard and later slogans addressed to the international community. “The foreign brothers continue on strike, they need the presence of the consulates (…) Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, France, Cuba, Guyana, Spain, Lebanon.”
The detainees also demanded international assistance with calls such as “Let the Red Cross come in!” and “let the UN come!”
At the end of each nightly meeting, the prisoners say goodbye with messages addressed to their families. “God bless you all,” they say before leaving, while both parties repeat a common slogan: “Family united, it will never be defeated.”
With information from Efe.
