Political prisoner Adrián De Gouveia released after losing family in earthquake

Venezuelan Air Force Major Adrián De Gouveia has been released from political detention, a move that followed the confirmation of his wife, mother-in-law, and niece's deaths in a recent earthquake. The victims perished on June 24 when a building collapsed in the Bosque Valle residential complex in Aragua state during a double seismic event that shook parts of the country.

The NGO Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy announced De Gouveia's release on X, noting that the officer had spent eight years in detention under the current government for political reasons. The organization also reported that one of De Gouveia's daughters was rescued alive from the rubble and is currently hospitalized under strict medical care.

Tamara Suju, executive director of the Casla Institute, stated that the officer's daughter "remains hospitalized and in very delicate health, with crush syndrome, after surviving the earthquake." The case of Major De Gouveia highlights a pattern of legal arbitrariness against political prisoners in Venezuela. He had already served his full sentence and possessed a formal release order for months.

However, after receiving the prior release order, he became a victim of new arbitrary detention by state security forces. This judicial maneuver kept him imprisoned until the family tragedy compelled his release on Thursday. The Coalición por los Derechos Humanos y la Democracia confirmed the details on X, stating Adrián De Gouveia has been detained since 2018.