Former Venezuelan Prisoners Announce Legal Action Against the State Over Human Rights Violations

At a press conference attended by former political prisoners Omar Torres and Kelvin Galván, the legal team representing a group of former detainees held at the National Bolivarian Police (PNB) detention center in Zone 7, Boleíta, announced the launch of legal and administrative proceedings against the Venezuelan state, seeking compensation for damages and redress for serious human rights violations.

Defense attorney Moisés Gutiérrez emphasized that the justice process in the country cannot advance without comprehensive reparations for the victims. "There can be no forgiveness without reparation. Officials of the Venezuelan State, specifically of the PNB, committed a series of human rights violations," Gutiérrez said.

He detailed that among the recurrent practices documented are the pressures and violations of the economic privacy of the detainees: "When a citizen is detained and access to their bank accounts is demanded, it is a flagrant violation of human rights", he said. Gutiérrez also denounced arbitrary arrests, stating that approximately 60 people had been detained over the course of a week and linked to a case without any legal basis.

Despite the climate of harassment and professional risks involved, the legal team reaffirmed its commitment to those affected. "We have taken the initiative, even at the risk of threats, to take action against the Venezuelan state", Gutiérrez said. "You cannot speak of a transition without reparation."

He explained that the legal strategy will strictly adhere to the regular channels established by national legislation. "The State has certain prerogatives, and we have initiated administrative proceedings with the Ministry of Interior and Justice for taking charge of the Bolivarian National Police. We are going to follow the steps outlined by the law and the Constitution," Gutiérrez said.

Testimonies of Persecution and Dispossession

During the press conference, Renny Chourio, a former political prisoner and former candidate of the mayor of the San Francisco Municipality in Zulia state, recounted the abuses he allegedly suffered during his detention and the raid on his home. "More than 50 officials came to my house, as if they were looking for a trafficker. They were all hooded, carrying long guns and arriving in unmarked vans. My wife went through a very difficult ordeal, as did my stepdaughter and my children," Chourio said.

He also denounced the alleged systematic looting of his family's belongings during the raid. "The money we had saved to buy a house was taken by the officials; for them, that's a war trophy", he said. Chourio further described the psychological and physical abuse he said he endured during interrogations.

"In my case, when they questioned me at La Quebradita, because I was an official, they always told me: Speak and tell the truth, because if you don't, we're going to beat you. Brother, the cruelty of those people knows no bounds," he stated.

The defense team and the former political prisoners present at the press conference called on the relevant authorities to provide a transparent response to the administrative proceedings initiated. They reiterated their determination to pursue justice and financial compensation through the appropriate courts and institutions.