Andreina Baduel pointed out that releases or amnesty “are not the only way” for the release of political prisoners. He stated that an exhaustive review of the files “would mean freedom because none of these processes are in accordance with the law.”
Relatives and activists from the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners met this Tuesday with deputies and representatives of the Program for Peace and Coexistence. At the meeting they proposed that the amnesty law, approved in the first discussion last week, be expanded and include a greater number of political events subject to review.
They also requested that full freedoms be granted, instead of precautionary measures or house arrest that has been granted since January 8, when the president of the National Assembly announced “a large number” of releases.
Andreina Baduel, sister of Josnars Baduel and activist of the Clippveexplained that among the questions about the project is the lack of clarity in the execution periods for granting the amnesty, in addition to the absence of facts from the period between 2018 and 2023. “If this law is approved, without listening to the relatives and their claims, more than half of the political prisoners would still be in captivity.”
Likewise, he pointed out that releases or amnesty “are not the only way” for the release of people detained for political reasons. He stated that an exhaustive review of the files “would mean freedom because none of these processes are in accordance with the law.”
Around 11:30 am, deputies Jorge Arreaza, president of the parliamentary commission, Nora Bracho, Pedro Infante, Luis Florido and América Pérez approached the corner of San Francisco – where the relatives were concentrated – to call them to a meeting at the Bolivian Museum.
Relatives of political prisoners were asked to present their identity cards and were put on a list to be able to enter the meeting. Minutes later, several representatives of the Coexistence Program entered, led by Minister Ernesto Villegas.
As the meeting progressed, Luz Aydée Casadiego arrived. He had traveled all night from Guasdualito, Apure state. Her daughter, Adriana Calderón, has been detained since May 2022 when she was detained by Dgcim officials in a rural area of Barinas.
«Since then it has been a martyrdom, we are in despair. “My daughter is coming home, her son is waiting for her,” Casadiego said with a broken voice.
*Read also: NGOs and victims ask to redo the amnesty bill and warn of exclusions
Calderón, a 29-year-old teacher, was sentenced in September 2022 along with two other women to five years in prison for the crimes of concealment, terrorism and association to commit a crime. On March 3, he served three-quarters of his sentence, with which he could access a substitute measure benefit and regain his freedom.
«We ourselves do not understand what happened… According to what I have heard in comments, they say that she was giving food to people from an organization, but I don’t know who they are. And how are we going to be feeding someone if we barely have enough for ourselves,” she said.
And just last year he was able to see it in the months of March and December due to the economic situation. «We don’t have a way to travel all the time to bring her things, or food or anything. “We live very far from here.”
Casadiego showed up at the administrative headquarters of parliament because her daughter, who called her in the morning, told her to come closer. “If you can go there to the Assembly, go and talk to them who are meeting with the relatives.”
Complaints do not stop
During the protest, Génesis Torreyes denounced the situation of her husband Miguel Mejías and six other Corpoelec Bolívar workers accused of alleged “sabotage of the electrical industry” due to a blackout.
Torreyes stated that her husband, who was arbitrarily detained on September 2, 2024 at his home in Guri (Bolívar state), was tortured and beaten. He is currently being held in the Yare III prison. “They only tell us that we have to wait and wait, until when are we going to wait? Our relatives have been detained for 17 months.”
Mejías is the only one found in Yare. Yosmary Yepez and Mirlay González are detained at the INOF. Reinaldo Gómez, José Calderón, José Salcedo and Leonardo González are imprisoned in Rodeo II.
Ofelia Alvarez, González’s mother, indicated that her son has fractures in two vertebrae of the spine so he needs to use a girdle on a recurring basis. He also cannot stand or lie down for long periods of time because the pain exhausts him.
His two children are waiting for him in Bolívar. «We are already tired, four have left the case but there are still seven missing. “We need them to give us answers, for everyone to be released.”
*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.
Post Views: 220
