The opposition political leader Edmundo González Urrutia, expressed this Tuesday his deep dismay at the death of two mothers of political prisoners, which occurred in the context of the recent releases announced by the interim government.
In a message spread through his social networks, Gonzalez denounced the human impact of the prolonged wait and the lack of responses from the judicial system.
“Since the releases were announced, two mothers have died. They died waiting. That is irreversible damage that we are not going to normalize,” said the opposition leader, visibly moved by the events. His statements come after the death of Omaira Navas, mother of journalist Ramón Centeno, and Yarelis Salas, mother of young Kevin Orozco, both detained for political reasons.
González stressed that the anguish of the relatives of political prisoners is not an isolated phenomenon. “We know of fathers, mothers, children who They wait outside prisons and detention centers, no answers, no information. “This anguish has consequences,” he warned, calling on the authorities to assume their responsibility for the suffering of families.
The leader also denounced that “political persecution extends to families, consumes lives and leaves wounds that are not repaired over time,” in reference to the physical and emotional deterioration faced by those close to the detainees. In that sense, he reiterated his commitment to justice and the dignity of those who have been victims of arbitrary imprisonment.
“Venezuela should be a country where no mother has to die waiting,” he concluded in a message that has been widely shared by human rights organizations and sectors of civil society.
Two stories that shake
The first of the victims was Yarelis Salas, mother of political prisoner Kevin Orozco, who died on January 21 after participating in a vigil in front of the Tocorón prison. Salas, 39, suffered a heart attack after days of protest and waiting for the release of his son, detained since July 2024 for his participation in post-election protests. His death was described by the NGO Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón as “a painful reminder of the human cost of political persecution.”
This Tuesday, January 27, the death of Omaira Navas, mother of journalist Ramón Centeno, was confirmed, who was released from prison just 13 days before, after spending almost four years in prison. Navas suffered a stroke on Monday the 26th, during a deferred court hearing, and was unable to recover. Her tireless fight for her son’s freedom made her a symbol of resistance for the journalistic community and human rights organizations.
Both cases have generated a wave of indignation and renewed clamor for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Venezuela.
