A Venezuelan opposition leader who participated in anti-government protests in January died while incarcerated, according to his party. Reinaldo Araujo, a notable figure from the Vente Venezuela party in Trujillo state, had pre-existing health issues, which his wife claims were ignored during his time in prison. Maria Corina Machado, the head of Vente Venezuela, blames the government of Nicolas Maduro for Araujo’s death.
The Venezuelan Prison Observatory reports that since the past few years, 20 political prisoners have died in custody. Araujo was apprehended by masked men on January 9th during a protest before the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro’s third term as president. His wife claims he was merely observing the protest and was taken by force.
Araujo had been in state custody since his arrest and his wife alleges the authorities failed to address her husband’s declining health despite her warnings. Luis Almagro, the head of the Organization of American States (OAS), condemned Araujo’s death as an atrocity by the regime, urging for an end to political imprisonment, torture, and deaths.
Almagro has been critical of Maduro, accusing him of suppressing opposition leading up and after July’s presidential election. The Venezuelan National Electoral Council, closely aligned with the government, declared Maduro as the winner without providing detailed voting figures. The OAS’s electoral observation department refused to recognize the result, citing the CNE’s favoritism towards the government.
Venezuela’s opposition coalition also declined to acknowledge the result, claiming their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was the rightful winner based on their own vote tallies. Protests were organized by the opposition on the eve of Maduro’s inauguration, which was the site of Araujo’s detention. The Venezuelan Prison Observatory states that hundreds of protesters were arrested in the lead-up to Maduro’s inauguration and were sent to jails known for mistreating inmates.
Among those detained was Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of Edmundo Gonzalez. Mr. Tudares’s wife has not received information regarding his whereabouts since his arrest on January 7th, suggesting the government might be detaining him to influence Edmundo Gonzalez, who is in exile and recognized as Venezuela’s legitimate leader by many presidents across the region.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15qz4yl7ngo
