🔗 Share this article Demise of Venezuelan Political Dissident in Detention Called 'Vile' by United States Representatives. Alfredo DÃaz passed away in his prison cell at the El Helicoide detention center, according to human rights organisations and political opponents. The US government has criticized the administration in Caracas over the death of a imprisoned political dissident, labeling it a "clear indication of the despicable character" of President Nicolás Maduro's regime. The political prisoner passed away in his cell at the El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where he had been detained for in excess of twelve months, as reported by human rights organisations and dissident factions. The Venezuelan government reported that the man in his fifties showed symptoms of a myocardial infarction and was transferred to a hospital, where he passed away on the weekend. Escalating Tensions Between Washington and Venezuela This recent criticism from the US is part of an escalating exchange of rhetoric between the White House and President Maduro, who has claimed the US of seeking regime change. In recent months, the America has boosted its military presence in the Latin America and has carried out a number of deadly attacks on ships it asserts have been used for trafficking narcotics. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro directly of being the chief of one of the country's narco-trafficking organizations—an accusation the Venezuelan president strongly rejects—and has warned of military action "by land". "Alfredo DÃaz had been 'held without cause' in a 'center of abuse'," said the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Background of the Imprisonment The opposition figure was arrested in that year after being among numerous dissidents to challenge the results of that period's presidential election. Venezuela's state-run electoral authority announced Maduro the victor, even though counts by rivals suggesting their candidate had triumphed by a overwhelming majority. The vote were largely criticized on the international stage as neither free nor fair, and triggered protests across the country. DÃaz, who was in charge of the Nueva Esparta state, was accused of "promoting hatred" and "terrorist acts" for disputing Maduro's electoral win. Reactions from Advocates and the Political Rivals National rights organization Foro Penal has voiced worry over worsening circumstances for jailed opponents in the country. "Another political prisoner has died in Venezuelan detention centers. He had been imprisoned for a twelve months, in segregation," posted Alfredo Romero, the group's director, on a social network. He added that DÃaz had only been granted one visit from his daughter during the entire length of his detention. He added that over a dozen political prisoners have died in the nation since that year. Opposition groups have also condemned the administration over the death of DÃaz. MarÃa Corina Machado, a prominent dissident figure who was awarded this period's Nobel Peace Prize but who stays in seclusion to evade capture, said that the governor's demise was not a one-off event. "Tragically, it adds to an alarming and heartbreaking chain of deaths of political prisoners imprisoned in the aftermath of the after the vote crackdown," she wrote. The coalition of rivals stated that the former governor "died unjustly". DÃaz's own faction, Democratic Action (AD), also remembered the former governor, saying he had been wrongly imprisoned without proper legal procedure and had been kept in conditions "that should never have violated his basic rights". Wider International Strains Strains between the US and Venezuela have become progressively worse over what Trump has called actions to curb the influx of narcotics and immigrants into the United States. US air strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific have killed dozens of people. Trump has claimed Maduro of "emptying his jails and psychiatric facilities" into the US. The US has labeled two Venezuelan narco-groups as terror groups. Maduro has in turn alleged the US of using its drug enforcement efforts as an excuse to depose his administration and access Venezuela's enormous oil reserves. The US has also stationed a significant fleet—its largest presence in the region in decades—along with thousands of soldiers. In a related action, the Venezuelan armed forces allegedly inducted more than 5,600 recruits in a single event on the weekend, in response to what military leaders described as US "threats".
Alfredo DÃaz passed away in his prison cell at the El Helicoide detention center, according to human rights organisations and political opponents. The US government has criticized the administration in Caracas over the death of a imprisoned political dissident, labeling it a "clear indication of the despicable character" of President Nicolás Maduro's regime. The political prisoner passed away in his cell at the El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where he had been detained for in excess of twelve months, as reported by human rights organisations and dissident factions. The Venezuelan government reported that the man in his fifties showed symptoms of a myocardial infarction and was transferred to a hospital, where he passed away on the weekend. Escalating Tensions Between Washington and Venezuela This recent criticism from the US is part of an escalating exchange of rhetoric between the White House and President Maduro, who has claimed the US of seeking regime change. In recent months, the America has boosted its military presence in the Latin America and has carried out a number of deadly attacks on ships it asserts have been used for trafficking narcotics. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro directly of being the chief of one of the country's narco-trafficking organizations—an accusation the Venezuelan president strongly rejects—and has warned of military action "by land". "Alfredo DÃaz had been 'held without cause' in a 'center of abuse'," said the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Background of the Imprisonment The opposition figure was arrested in that year after being among numerous dissidents to challenge the results of that period's presidential election. Venezuela's state-run electoral authority announced Maduro the victor, even though counts by rivals suggesting their candidate had triumphed by a overwhelming majority. The vote were largely criticized on the international stage as neither free nor fair, and triggered protests across the country. DÃaz, who was in charge of the Nueva Esparta state, was accused of "promoting hatred" and "terrorist acts" for disputing Maduro's electoral win. Reactions from Advocates and the Political Rivals National rights organization Foro Penal has voiced worry over worsening circumstances for jailed opponents in the country. "Another political prisoner has died in Venezuelan detention centers. He had been imprisoned for a twelve months, in segregation," posted Alfredo Romero, the group's director, on a social network. He added that DÃaz had only been granted one visit from his daughter during the entire length of his detention. He added that over a dozen political prisoners have died in the nation since that year. Opposition groups have also condemned the administration over the death of DÃaz. MarÃa Corina Machado, a prominent dissident figure who was awarded this period's Nobel Peace Prize but who stays in seclusion to evade capture, said that the governor's demise was not a one-off event. "Tragically, it adds to an alarming and heartbreaking chain of deaths of political prisoners imprisoned in the aftermath of the after the vote crackdown," she wrote. The coalition of rivals stated that the former governor "died unjustly". DÃaz's own faction, Democratic Action (AD), also remembered the former governor, saying he had been wrongly imprisoned without proper legal procedure and had been kept in conditions "that should never have violated his basic rights". Wider International Strains Strains between the US and Venezuela have become progressively worse over what Trump has called actions to curb the influx of narcotics and immigrants into the United States. US air strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific have killed dozens of people. Trump has claimed Maduro of "emptying his jails and psychiatric facilities" into the US. The US has labeled two Venezuelan narco-groups as terror groups. Maduro has in turn alleged the US of using its drug enforcement efforts as an excuse to depose his administration and access Venezuela's enormous oil reserves. The US has also stationed a significant fleet—its largest presence in the region in decades—along with thousands of soldiers. In a related action, the Venezuelan armed forces allegedly inducted more than 5,600 recruits in a single event on the weekend, in response to what military leaders described as US "threats".