CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) 鈥� A few dozen people demonstrated Monday in capital in memory of a woman who died over the weekend, just days after learning that her son had died in state custody nine months ago.
The demonstrators, mostly college students, briefly blocked a highway in as they blamed 痴别苍别锄耻别濒补鈥檚 government for the deaths of V铆ctor Hugo Quero, whose detention was considered politically motivated, and his elderly mother, Carmen Navas. As the students chanted, they also carried a large banner with Navas鈥� photo.
鈥淲hat it stirs up in Venezuelans, in the Venezuelan youth, is rage, man,鈥� student leader Miguel 脕ngel Su谩rez said of the deaths.
Navas, 82, died 10 days after 痴别苍别锄耻别濒补鈥檚 prisons agency announced in a statement that Quero died in July after being hospitalized while in custody. The government withheld the information even as Navas demanded proof of life as she visited detention centers, courthouses and government agencies seeking the whereabouts of Quero, who had been detained since January 2025.
The government鈥檚 statement said Navas, a 51-year-old salesperson, died of 鈥渁cute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary thromboembolism鈥� 10 days after he was taken to the hospital for a gastrointestinal issue. It explained that Navas鈥� relatives were not notified of his death because he failed to provide contact information.
The case immediately drew the outrage of human rights organizations, members of Venezuela’s political opposition and relatives of other .
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 die; they were killed!鈥� demonstrators chanted Monday. 鈥淛ustice for Carmen!鈥�
The Venezuelan prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal estimates that more than 400 people are currently detained in the country for political reasons.
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