Political prisoners in Venezuela
Venezuela is a country where the political opposition alleges that there are political prisoners.
Human rights and legal policy groups say that there are more than 40 political prisoners in Venezuela, and that 2,000 Chávez opponents are under investigation.[1]
Venezuela's political opposition complains that the justice system is controlled by the government and is used as a weapon against Chavez' opponents.[2]
Prosecutors and the justice system bring criminal charges against Chavez political opponents. Prosecutors have filed corruption charges against opposition leader Manuel Rosales, former Defense Minister Raul Baduel, opposition activist Oscar Perez and former Governors Eduardo Manuitt and Didalco Bolivar. Some, like Rosales, Perez and Bolivar have fled the country to seek political asylum abroad. In April 2009, Manuel Rosales, the mayor of Maracaibo (which is the second largest city in the country), fled to Peru.
Human rights organisations have documented the situation of political prisoners.[3]
The government of Hugo Chávez is also targeting university students. Some have been jailed under charges of “destabilizing the government,” or “inciting civil war.” Students have launched hunger strikes over the government's treatment of political prisoners.[4]
Notable political prisoners
Eligio Cedeno case
In 2007 Eligio Cedeno, then President of Bolivar-Banpro Financial Group, was arrested in a crackdown by Venezuelan officials on individuals circumventing government currency rules to gain U.S. dollars. On February 8 2007, Cedeño was accused by the Venezuelan Attorney General of aiding Consorcio MicroStar with illegal dollar transactions.[5][6][7][8] Over the next year prosecutors repeatedly failed to turn up for court dates, leading to accusations that the case was being strung out due to a lack of evidence.[9] Partly as a result, the United Nations' Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in September 2009 declared Cedeno's detention arbitrary.[10]
Held in jail pending trial for 34 months, Cedeño was paroled on 10 December 2009. By the 19th Cedeño had fled to the United States, where he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement until the 23rd of December 2009 when he was released on parole pending an immigration hearing.[11]
Cedeño claims that he became a target of the Chávez government, as a consequence of his support for political opponents of Chávez.[12][13]
Judge María Lourdes Afiuni
Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni was arrested after ordering the release of Eligio Cedeño on corruption charges.
In December 2009 three independent human rights experts of the United Nations' Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for her immediate and unconditional release[14][15].
Richard Blanco
For political reasons, Richard Blanco, a male local government official from Caracas, is being detained in a prison in Caracas without any evidence of him having committed a crime. Amnesty International is asking for his liberation.[16][17]
References
- ↑ Politics and prison in Venezuela
- ↑ Jailing of judge provokes debate in Venezuela
- ↑ Tell Chavez
- ↑ Venezuelan protesters end hunger strike over prisoners
- ↑ "Venezuelan bank president detained in crack down on illegal dollar transactions". International Herald Tribune. 2007-02-08. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/10/business/LA-FIN-Venezuela-Dollar-Crackdown.php.
- ↑ "Interpol captura en Panamá a Gustavo Arraíz imputado por caso Microstar". UnionRadio.net. 2007-03-01. http://www.unionradio.net/Noticias/Noticia.aspx?noticiaid=196132.
- ↑ "Fiscalía realizó nueva acusación por caso Microstar". Venevision.com. 2007-03-26. http://noticiero.venevision.net/index_not.asp?id_noticia=20070326001704&id_seccion=04.
- ↑ "Detienen en Panamá a solicitado por caso Microstar". El Universal. 2007-03-05. http://deportes.eluniversal.com/2007/03/05/suc_ava_05A841609.shtml.
- ↑ "Cedeno Trial Postponed for Fourth Time in a Month". Reuters. 2008-03-19. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS148609+19-Mar-2008+PRN20080319.
- ↑ The Guardian, 17 December 2009, UN human rights panel accuses Chávez of undermining Venezuelan judges
- ↑ "UPDATE: Venezuelan Banker, Wanted Back Home, Is Paroled In US". WSJ. 2009-12-23. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091223-709216.html.
- ↑ Bolivarian rule of lawlesness
- ↑ Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Abuses Extradition Treaties, Says Lawyer
- ↑ Venezuelan leader violates independence of judiciary – UN rights experts
- ↑ U.N. criticizes Venezuela's President Chavez for judge's arrest
- ↑ Venezuela Government official held in Venezuela
- ↑ Amnesty International Urgent Action Richard Blanco