NGO warns that political prisoners are being transferred to another Venezuelan prison

Families gathered outside Venezuela’s El Rodeo I prison after buses entered the facility and several inmates were allegedly transferred without notice. The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, known by its Spanish acronym CLIPPVE, warned that the destination had not been identified.

The organization said relatives suspected that some of the prisoners could have been taken to Fuerte Guaicaipuro or Yare II, both in Miranda state. Family members demanded to see the prison director, whom they said had refused to come out and explain what was happening. They also reported mistreatment by prison staff.

In a video shared by the NGO, María Soto, the mother of Lieutenant Luis Manuel Paiva Soto, said authorities had not informed her about her son’s transfer. Paiva Soto is accused of taking part in a 2020 maritime attack that the government said formed part of an opposition plan to invade Venezuela.

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The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners warns of arbitrary transfers at the El Rodeo I detention center, after several buses entered the prison on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 2.

The alleged transfers came as activists from the Alliance for the Freedom of Political Prisoners called on Penitentiary Service Minister Julio García Zerpa to address what they described as irregularities in the country’s prisons, including poor food and inadequate health care. Foro Penal said Tuesday that Venezuela had 328 political prisoners as of Aug. 31, including 317 men and 11 women.

The government led by Delcy Rodríguez rejects the existence of political prisoners and says those detained committed crimes. Opposition parties and human-rights groups reject that position. The administration has nevertheless carried out a process of releases since Nicolás Maduro was captured in January, with more than 1,000 people freed, according to Rodríguez.

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The authorities did not notify me about my son’s transfer.