The Chavista regime of Venezuela released a journalist accused of “terrorism” and arrested days after the questioned re-election of Nicolás Maduro that generated protests. This is one of the people released in the last few hours, a record that generates discrepancies between the ruling party and non-governmental organizations.
Ana Carolina Guaita she is a reporter for the portal The Patillaa critic of the government, in La Guaira, where she was detained by intelligence agents on August 2.
The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) reported the release in X. “Ana was imprisoned for more than four months in a Police headquarters in Caraballeda,” he indicated. “She was accused of terrorism, instigation of hatred and obstruction of public roads.”
Guaita covered the demolition of a statue of the late socialist leader Hugo Chávez in that neighboring coastal city of Caracas during the demonstrations that broke out after the proclamation of Maduro as re-elected in the July 28 elections.
The protests left 27 dead, almost 200 injured and more than 2,400 detained, including a hundred teenagers.
His release comes hours after the prosecutor’s office announced 200 new releases as part of a case review plan.
According to the authorities, there are 733 releases although the NGO Foro Penal, dedicated to the defense of “political prisoners”, dismisses the figure and assures that it is lower.
Guaita is also the daughter of the general secretary of the traditional Copei party in La Guaira, Carlos Guaita, and Xiomara Barreto, also a leader of that organization. Both are outside the country and requested by the authorities.
According to the National College of Journalists (CNP), a dozen communicators still remain behind bars, including some dedicated to political activism.
Sixty political prisoners released in the last hours and discrepancies with the final number
The Venezuelan NGO Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners reported this Saturday the release of 60 “political prisoners” detained after the presidential elections on July 28, when protests broke out against the official result that gave a questioned re-election to Nicolás Maduro.
Through X, the organization detailed that of the total number of releases – reported between Friday and Saturday, according to relatives of those arrested -, 37 correspond to prisoners from the Tocorón prison, 13 from Tocuyito and 10 from Las Crisálidas.
According to the NGO, in Tocorón and Tocuyito “they are using official vehicles and ambulances to secretly remove political prisoners, mainly at night.”
“They are left in terminals with only what they are wearing, and they must call their loved ones to help them return to their cities of residence,” he said.
The release records of political prisoners generate differences between the ruling party and the third sector.
The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners stated that “there are serious doubts with the official figure” of 200 released, since – he added – “it is not the first time that people have lied about the number of those released.”
“In addition, the policy of government opacity persists by not offering timely, relevant, verifiable quality and free access information from State institutions,” he indicated.
Likewise, he denounced that there is a “prohibition” to record videos, give statements to the press and for detainees to tell what they experienced inside prison.
He assured that, in addition, “those released and their families are coerced,” which is why – he continued – civil society organizations “find difficulties in documenting the number of releases carried out.”
The latest releases have been carried out in parallel with new arrests, such as those of four members of the Vente Venezuela party, led by María Corina Machado; that of former Caracas councilor Jesús Armas; that of the mayor of Cabimas, Zulia state (northwest), Nabil Maalouf; that of the activist Luis Palocz, and that of the peasant leader Carlos Azuaje.
In addition, NGOs, relatives and activists denounced the three deaths in prison – one in November and two this month – of detainees in the post-electoral context, cases that the largest opposition coalition – the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) – asks to be documented by the Court. International Criminal Court (ICC), which investigates the alleged commission of crimes against humanity in the Caribbean country