Maduro calls them “captured terrorists.” There are 2,229 people detained, including 13 journalists, in the protests that have rocked Venezuela since the presidential elections.
At least 2,229 people have been arrested, including 13 journalists, in Venezuela in connection with protests following the presidential election.
“Already There are 2,229 terrorists captured, with evidence, and on Saturday they will be transferred to Tocorón and Tocuyito,” said President Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday, whose re-election is contested by the opposition, referring to two penitentiary centers.
In a televised event, Maduro said that “Tocorón and Tocuyito are ready for the terrorists, for the criminals” and to stop “all the new generation gangs that are involved in the violent protests.”
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At a meeting with dozens of elderly supporters in front of the presidential palace, broadcast by state television VTV, the President accused detainees of assaulting and murdering people —without specifying the number of victims— and burned hospitals, schools, institutes and universities, as well as police stations, local authorities and headquarters of the ruling party.
Maduro pointed the finger at opposition presidential candidate, former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, and opposition leader María Corina Machado.
According to the government, at least 59 police officers and 47 members of the armed forces were injured, while two soldiers were killed.
According to the NGO Provea, these victims are added to 24 civilian deaths, some of them killed by members of the security forces or militias.
Also on Tuesday, the NGO Foro Penal reported that 1,102 people were arrested in Venezuela as part of the protests.
“Post-electoral repression report. Arrests verified by the Penal Forum from July 29 to August 6 at 8:00 a.m. [13h00 horas em Lisboa]: 1,102 arrests, including 100 teenagers and five indigenous people,” the NGO announced in the social network.
Venezuelan Public Prosecutor’s Office confirms 1,062 detainees in protests
According to the Press Workers Union (SNTP) and the non-governmental organization Venezuelan Program for Education and Action in Human Rights (Provea), at least 13 journalists have been detained in Venezuela since the presidential elections.
The two organizations stated that the 13 journalists are accused of the crimes of terrorism, espionage and conspiracyafter posting photographs of anti-regime protests on social media.
On the other hand, according to the Venezuelan Institute for Press and Society (IPYS Venezuela), since August 3, 11 press workers have been arrested, including journalists and image operators.
Some of these workers have since been expelled from the country.Among them are the Chileans Ivan Nunez and Jose Luis Tapia, the Italians Marco Bariletti and Ivo Bonito and the Spaniards Cake Minuesa and Alvaro Nieto.
According to SNTP and IPYS Venezuela, Several radio stations were warned by the National Telecommunications Commission of Venezuela that could lose their broadcasting permits if they mentioned opposition protests in the country.
Several human rights organizations have denounced a climate of repression in the country and alleged massive human rights violations against demonstrators arrested in the context of the protests that took to the streets of Venezuela following the elections on July 28.
The Caracas regime says coupkeeping thousands of police and military personnel on the streets to control the protesters, and asked the population to anonymously report those promoting the protests through the VenAPP application.
Venezuela, a country with a large community of Portuguese and Portuguese descendants, held presidential elections on July 28, after which the National Electoral Council attributed the victory to Maduro with just over 51% of the votes, while the opposition claims that Edmundo González Urrutia obtained almost 70% of the votes.
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The Venezuelan opposition and many countries have denounced electoral fraud and demanded that voting records be submitted for independent verification.
Source: Observadora
