“Authorities wait until the last minute to treat the detainee, regardless of their medical condition, and the outcome is loss of human life.”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Caracas, 22 July 2025 — The NGO Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP) reported Monday that 22 political prisoners have died in state custody since 2015, and warned that authorities are waiting until the “last minute” to treat detainees who report health problems.
“Unfortunately, in our prisons, authorities wait until the last minute to treat detainees, regardless of their clinical condition, and the outcome is loss of human life,” the NGO noted in its most recent report, “Without Separation or Autonomy of Powers: Prisons and Cells as a Tool of Torture.”
It also said that another practice is “misdiagnoses in prison, and illnesses that, if treated early, would have a good prognosis, but end in death.”
Of the 22 political prisoners, four were arrested following protests against the official results of the presidential elections held on July 28 of last year.
Of the 22 political prisoners, four were arrested following protests against the official results of the presidential elections held on July 28 of last year. The electoral body declared President Nicolás Maduro’s victory, a result questioned by the majority opposition and part of the international community.
The report also said that the urns of these detainees were “sealed and guarded by the same officials until they were buried.”
“Afterwards, the relatives were also pressured to stop making further statements to the media. We infer, the intention was to stop them from continuing to report the arbitrary acts,” it added.
Given this situation, the OVP urged the State to ensure that prisoners’ food is sufficient, balanced, and adequate, as well as guarantee effective access to healthcare, “through the timely provision of medical care, adequate medication supplies, and immediate transfer in cases of emergency.”
The organization also calls for an “independent, timely, and impartial” investigation into deaths that occurred in state custody, “guaranteeing access to truth, justice, and reparation for victims and their families, as well as the implementation of effective guarantees of non-repetition.”
The Maduro government says there are no political prisoners in the country and that those identified as such are incarcerated for “committing terrible punishable acts,” a claim denied by activists, NGOs, and opposition political parties.
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