Father fights to regain custody of daughter after mother's death in Caracas

Yordan Oropeza, a 41-year-old refrigeration technician from Caracas, has spent seven months in an unrelenting battle with state institutions. He seeks to reclaim his paternal rights and ensure the comprehensive protection of his daughter, Arianna Alaia Oropeza Rosario.

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The pregnancy was normal, she had all her check-ups. The only thing she had was blood pressure issues, but it was controlled. She was already around 40 weeks, she wasn't in pain, she wasn't showing any signs.

His struggle began on January 15, 2026, when his partner, Victoria Alejandra Rosario Benítez, was admitted to the Doctor Domingo Luciani Hospital for childbirth. Oropeza recounts that complications, including internal hemorrhage and a sudden drop in platelet count, led to Rosario's death hours after the procedure. Their newborn daughter, Arianna, also faced complications and required intensive care.

Oropeza claims the pregnancy was normal, with regular check-ups. He states that on January 14, he took Rosario to another hospital after she felt unwell. Doctors there assured them everything was fine. However, that night, Rosario's boss arranged for an emergency cesarean at the hospital where she later died.

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We went the next day early. They gave her pitocin there, but it agitated her blood pressure. Due to last-minute issues, they had to perform an emergency cesarean. That's when the hemorrhage started. Around noon, they told me the baby had been born. When I asked to see them both, they said I couldn't go in because they had complications.

Arianna was born at 11:48 am on January 15. Oropeza was denied access to his wife and was given blood samples for testing. By late evening, he received the devastating news of Rosario's death due to severe postpartum hemorrhage. During Arianna's 18-day stay in the neonatal unit, Yordan covered all medical expenses.

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The result was given to me almost at 4:00 pm, and they told me she was in delicate health, that they couldn't give me details because her condition was already confidential. Then they sent me to do other tests because her platelets were too low. She had five transfusions because the hemorrhage was too severe. After 10:00 pm, they gave me the bad news that my wife had died.