They denounced that more than 400 prisoners are victims of extortion by the “sheikhs” in a prison in southern Venezuela.

More than 400 prisoners in a prison in Bolivar state, southern Venezuela. They are mistreated and deprived of various rights for not paying the extortion money to the leader of the criminals in the detention center.as denounced this Wednesday by the NGO Observatory of Venezuelan Prisons (OVP).

In a press release, the organization explained that the Ciudad Bolivar Judicial Detention Center, known as Vista Hermosa, where some 1,790 prisoners, including “at least 400 men rejected by Bran (the prison’s chief), remain under control.”

The message follows the prisoners, Payment of $20 per weekThose who do not adhere to this quota are expelled and forced to sleep in the open air without “the right to roam the facilities or receive visitors” or food brought by their families.

“Vista Hermosa does not escape the diseases that afflict Venezuelan prisons either. It is known that there are at least 34 inmates infected with tuberculosis and three infected with HIV, who do not receive regular medical care, let alone adequate treatment,” the NGO said.

Last December, the OVP confirmed that prison leaders, known as “pranes”They handle “about four million dollars a year” which they obtain through illegal activities.

He explained that according to his records, these taxes have an average weekly value of between 25 and 50 dollars in state prisons, and that it is the relatives of the detainees who have to pay them to ensure their well-being. deprived of freedom.

He added that the defenders’ power “exceeds the prison walls” and turns them into the heads of criminal structures that extort and kill to attack the general public.

On Tuesday, the NGO Foro Penal reported this There are 269 political prisoners in Venezueladown from the previous issue, which was released on February 7.

In a photo posted on Twitter, the organization indicated that out of the 269 registered cases, 256 are men and 13 are women. In addition to 119 civilians and 150 military personnel.

He explained that out of the total, 115 have been convicted and 154 are still awaiting a court verdict.

According to Foro Penal, 15,777 “political arrests” have been recorded since 2014, in addition to the so-called political prisoners, “More than 9,000 people are still arbitrarily subjected to measures that restrict their freedom.”

On February 12, the organization confirmed that in 2022, “a total of 26 arrests were reported for political reasons,” 25 of which applied to civilians, three of them women and one to a retired military official.

Regarding the reason for the arrests, Foro Pinal stressed that 13 cases related to actions related to “conspiracy”, 9 took place in the context of demonstrations and 4 to “public administration”.

The NGO urged the regime of Nicolás Maduro to “respect the request of the international community and organizations defending human rights, regarding the cessation of violations of the civil and political rights of citizens, an end to persecution and repression and that the ‘prisoners who are in Venezuela’ be released.”

(with information from EFE)

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