Police officers were Chavismo’s longest-serving political prisoners

Since the capture of then dictator Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation in January, the regime of interim dictator Delcy Rodríguez has promoted a process of releasing political prisoners.

However, Realidad Helicoide reported that Venezuela still has 500 political prisoners. “Our demand for freedom will not cease until everyone is freed,” said the NGO in a post on X.

Luis Molina, Héctor Rovain and Erasmo Bolívar were members of the Caracas Metropolitan Police and were accused of being responsible for the incident known as the shooting at Puente Llaguno, in Caracas, or El Silencio Massacre, as it is called by some Venezuelan media outlets.

During a march in April 2002 towards the Miraflores Palace, the seat of the Venezuelan government, in the context of the political crisis in which a military wing unsuccessfully tried to overthrow the then dictator Hugo Chávez, clashes occurred that resulted in the deaths of 19 people.

The three police officers surrendered to authorities on April 19, 2003 and were later sentenced to 30 years in prison, the maximum sentence in Venezuela. Human rights organizations in Venezuela, such as the NGO Foro Penal, alleged that the trial had irregularities and was politicized, and that is why they considered him political prisoners.

During the long period in which they were detained, the police officers had several health problems, according to the website Efecto Cocuyo.

Erasmo Bolívar, who is 50 years old, suffers from stomach pains, retinal detachment and mobility difficulties resulting from knee surgery, according to reports from his family and the Foro Penal.

Luis Molina, now 57 years old, was hospitalized in May 2025 due to peritonitis and his health problems caused him to interrupt the technical and training activities he carried out inside the penitentiary, family members said. Héctor Rovain is also 57 years old.

The Metropolitan Police of Caracas was abolished in April 2011, when the process of transferring its personnel to the Bolivarian National Police (PNB) was completed.