The relatives of the political prisoners held in Zone 7 began to experience discomfort such as vomiting, dizziness and fainting after so many hours on hunger strike; However, they say they will not stop the protest. They also denounce that the detainees were being forced to eat
The relatives of the political prisoners held at the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), in Boleíta, in Caracas, better known as Zone 7, have been on hunger strike for more than a day to demand that the authorities release all those detained.
Dozens of women are stationed outside the police station, with mats and chained, as a measure of pressure to fulfill the word of the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, who more than a week ago promised them that “by Friday (last) at the latest” everyone would be outside.
The family members completed the 24-hour fast at 6:00 am this Sunday, February 15. His only request is “the immediate and full freedom of all his loved ones unjustly detained in this center.” It was learned that those imprisoned also began a hunger strike on the afternoon of February 13; However, relatives report that they are being forced to eat.
Petra Vera, a relative of Wilfran Perea, reported that police officers were forcing the detainees to eat food under alleged “threats of punishment.” He told, through the count in X of the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, that the director of that facility, named Sifontes, is intimidating them by moving them to a punishment cell.
The relatives of the detainees assured that they will continue on strike until everyone is released.
“We demand that their human rights be respected and the immediate and full release of each of them,” Vera insisted. Surrounding the family members are dozens of officials with riot gear who are monitoring the protest for nearly a month, after Jorge Rodríguez announced on January 8 the release of a “significant number” of prisoners.
*Read also: 17 people were released from Zone 7 early this morning #14Feb
Discomfort due to hunger strike
After 2:00 pm this Sunday, some of the relatives who are on hunger strike on the outskirts of Zone 7 began to express health problems due to not having eaten food for more than 30 hours.
The Clippve organization indicated that Carolina Carrisco, one of the protesters, presented vomiting, dizziness, tremors and physical fainting.
The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners holds the State responsible for “the life and physical and mental integrity of these families and people detained for political reasons.”
In the early hours of February 14, 17 people were released from Zone 7, but the families ask that all those imprisoned for political reasons receive full freedom.
The National Assembly discussed the amnesty bill for the second time last Thursday, February 12, and although the authorities had promised that it would be approved this week and political prisoners would be released, releases have slowed down.
The NGO Foro Penal had confirmed just over 400 releases until a few days ago and insist that there are more than 600 detainees in the country for political reasons.
*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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