Deceased Venezuelan political prisoner's son demands to see father's body: Video
The son of a deceased Venezuelan prisoner has revealed that he learned of his father's death through social media and was subsequently denied the opportunity to see the body.
The prisoner, Jesus Rafael Alvarez, 44, was arrested during the protests that erupted following the disputed presidential election in Venezuela on July 28, 2024.
According to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, Alvarez died in a maximum-security prison in Carabobo on December 12, 2024. His son, also named Jesus, recounted how he discovered the news of his father's death on social media and rushed to the morgue, only to be denied access to the body. The younger Alvarez was shown some of his father's belongings and photographs.
"I don't know what the cause of his death was, because they didn't give me a reason, they didn't give me a cause. The only thing they showed me of him was some belongings and a photo from the shoulder up, they didn't let me see the physical body," Alvarez told AFP.
Alvarez's suffering extends beyond his father's death, as both of his parents were arrested on the same day. He is now pleading with authorities to release his mother from prison.
"I ask for my mother's release because what else do I have left? I have a body left, of course at this moment that I am claiming, but in life I have her, nothing else," he added.
This incident marks the second death among the thousands of individuals detained in the aftermath of the controversial election, which saw President Nicolas Maduro claim victory for a third term. The election results have been widely disputed, leading to mass protests and a severe crackdown by security forces.
