Relatives of those detained in Venezuela’s post-election protests in the state of Lara gathered this Tuesday, October 8th, at the doors of the courts in the city of Barquisimeto to denounce a series of irregularities that are occurring in the Carabobo Judicial Internment Center, also known as the Tocuyito prison, where the detainees are being held.
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There would be about 40 people transferred to Tocuyito 200 Kms (aprox 150 miles away). The relatives, who joined the protest, mentioned that after 43 days of confinement in the prison, they were allowed to visit them at last this past Thursday, October 3rd.
They say that they have had to go through a series of calamities, moving to the state of Carabobo in the hope that they will be allowed to see their children, but for many their efforts have been in vain.
This visit allowed them to learn about the conditions in which their relatives are detained, mainly with regard to food, mistreatment and torture.
In this regard, they explained that the food provided in the prison is in poor condition, and worms have often been found in the food.
On the other hand, they mention that they only receive food twice a day, a situation that has caused the detainees to lose considerable weight.
Regarding their judicial status, they mentioned that they only had the presentation hearing where they were charged with the crime of terrorism, and so far they have not gone through any other process.
“Our children are not criminals, they are not murderers, they are not rapists. “Our children did nothing but disagree with the government,” said the mother of one of the detainees, who also declared that she was extorted 700 U.S. dollars because they were supposedly going to hand over her son and when she arrived with the money, they told her that this sum of money was to reduce the charges.
The mothers and relatives, in the midst of desperation, demand that due process be respected, as well as the immediate release of the detainees, who have not committed any crime to be imprisoned.