After the death of the former governor of Nueva Esparta, Alfredo Díazinvestigations began to determine its cause. This since he was being held in El Helicoide, headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), in Caracas.
Although the authorities informed the relatives that the former regional president he would have suffered a heart attack on Friday, December 5information on the circumstances prior to death remains limited. Which has led human rights organizations to demand immediate clarity.
The NGO Provea spoke out through its X account to condemn the death of the former governor. And after communicating directly with those close to Díaz, he explained that although the official version indicates a heart attack as the cause of death, does not detail whether he received adequate medical attention. Or, on the other hand, if there were previous signs that warned of an emergency.
The cause of Alfredo Díaz’s death would be the responsibility of the State, according to Provea
For Provea, this lack of precision is especially delicate. Mainly because the deceased was in state custody. In this sense, it would be a condition that implies strict obligations regarding health, supervision and protection of physical integrity.
Díaz, detained for a year, He remained incommunicado throughout that period. Even without the possibility of receiving visits from family or lawyers. A situation that the organization considers recurrent in political arrests and which, it affirms, violates fundamental rights.
For this reason, the NGO maintains that this prolonged incommunication not only hinders the right to defense, but also constitutes treatment that seriously affects both the detainee and those around him.
The death of the former governor is added to five others registered between August 2024 and December 2025 in state detention centers. “An alarming figure that reflects the precarious conditions of detention of the detainees. And it reveals the failure to comply with state obligations with international prisoner protection standardsincluding the United Nations Mandela Rules,” the organization added.
Likewise, he indicated that the situation has also been observed from the international level. In September, “the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission concluded that it had reasonable grounds to believe that the State did not act with due diligence.” So much for previous deaths of political prisoners, citing lack of timely health care and practices considered cruel or degrading treatment.
“We reiterate that Deaths that occur in State custody are the responsibility of the State. In that sense, we demand an immediate investigation to determine the causes of the death of Mr. Alfredo Díaz and the establishment of responsibilities for his death,” he concluded.
