NGO reports 26 prisoner deaths in Venezuela from April to June

The Venezuelan Observatory for Prisons (OVP) has recorded 26 deaths in the country's penitentiary centers between April and June, highlighting a persistent crisis in medical care within prisons. The most recent fatality, Fabiana Desirée Páez Fernández, died at the La Crisálida prison in Miranda state due to respiratory failure and other health issues that allegedly did not receive adequate medical attention.

The OVP stated that the lack of medical care in Venezuelan prisons has once again claimed a life. Páez Fernández was held at La Crisálida, a facility established in 2018, where the NGO reported "inadequate living conditions." The prison reportedly houses around 320 women, including both political prisoners and common criminals. The OVP has demanded urgent, specialized medical attention for all inmates to prevent further deaths.

This figure adds to the 181 deaths reported in prisons in 2025, with at least 151 of those individuals reportedly dying without receiving necessary healthcare. The OVP's findings underscore the dire situation faced by those incarcerated in Venezuela, where access to basic medical services appears to be severely lacking.