CARACAS — Dinorah Figuera, head of the opposition delegation at the negotiating table with the ruling party, said last Saturday from Madrid, Spain, that she requested the Chavista administration of Delcy Rodríguez for the prompt release of soldiers imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela.
“The system that the table worked on was perfected. It shows in specific terms how many women are imprisoned, how many people do not enjoy full health, how many are the military, who are the political prisoners who have served their sentences and who have not been given the guarantee of their freedom. Due process has been violated for all of them, but we want to consolidate that all political prisoners are released. It is a demand that is being made, not only by the population, but we at the table have also been incisive, persistent for an announcement to be made,” he explained Figuera during an interview with journalist David Placer published on YouTube.
Figuera reported that a few days ago they held a meeting with Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, and his counterpart at the negotiating table, and stated that they are on the verge of an announcement regarding the release of other political prisoners.
“This is a moral commitment that I personally have, remember that I lost my daughter’s godfather, Fernando Albán, in custody, and it is like a flag in the memory of my dear friend Fernando Albán and in the memory of all the political prisoners who have not been able to be released and have died in custody, that this is a historic demand, because there is not only due process, but that there is a guarantee that the political prisoners can all be released within the shortest possible time,” Figuera insisted.
Fernando Albán was a councilor who was detained at the headquarters of the political police (SEBIN) for three days and died while in the custody of his case. However, his death was brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS because it was considered an extrajudicial execution.
Exile
The opposition leader stated during the interview that some military political prisoners have requested to leave for Germany and Spain, as alternatives that allow their release and departure from Venezuela.
“I was able to present to the government in charge, including the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, precisely the demand that several relatives of military personnel have made to us regarding their decision that they be released; they are even requesting to leave the country. There are also cases of military personnel who have asked to be in Germany, who have asked to be in Spain.”
The opponent refers to a group of 52 political prisoners, including soldiers who see exile as a step to accelerate the transition. The initiative was put on the table by lawyer and human rights defender Theresly Malavé of the NGO, Justicia y Proceso.
Additionally, as a humanitarian measure for those with health problems such as Captain Juan Carlos Caguaripano, imprisoned since 2018 and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Management before governments
Figuera added: “I have even spoken with some governments, so that all diplomatic relations are generated to make it easier for these political prisoners who decide to go to another country to do so.”
The former parliamentarian already spoke with the German ambassador in Venezuela, Volker Pellet, about the case of one of these detainees who wants to go into exile in that European country to reunite with his daughter.
