Background on Edmundo González Urrutia
Edmundo González Urrutia is a prominent Venezuelan opposition figure who ran against Nicolás Maduro in the controversial July 2024 elections. González Urrutia claims to have won the election decisively, though his assertion has not been officially recognized by the Venezuelan government.
Conditional Release of Detained Individuals
On Thursday evening, the Venezuelan Ministry of Prisons announced the conditional release of 99 individuals who were detained during the crisis following Nicolás Maduro’s disputed re-election.
NGOs Confirm the Release of Political Prisoners
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have confirmed the release of between 45 and 63 “political prisoners,” including three teenagers and a 65-year-old medical professional who was sentenced to 30 years for “treason against the fatherland” after distributing an audio criticizing Maduro.
González Urrutia’s Criticism of Conditional Release
From his exile in Spain, González Urrutia expressed skepticism regarding the conditional release of these detainees. He emphasized that such releases do not equate to normalizing unacceptable practices.
- Question: González Urrutia believes that the conditional release of these individuals does not normalize unacceptable practices, as those released still lack full freedom and face ongoing processes, surveillance, implicit threats, and fear.
- Question: González Urrutia describes detained individuals in Venezuela as “hostages,” used to send messages, exert pressure, discipline society, and then released selectively without truth or guarantees when it serves the interests of those in power.
- Question: González Urrutia’s yerno (son-in-law), Rafael Tudares, received a 30-year sentence for “terrorism” while the family was simultaneously denouncing his forced disappearance.
- Question: González Urrutia states that in Venezuela, freedom is administered, human dignity is used as a currency, and people are turned into instruments.
The controversy surrounding the conditional release of these 99 detained individuals highlights the ongoing political tensions in Venezuela and the struggle for human rights and justice.
