Relatives of minors imprisoned in Venezuela call for UNICEF intervention: Video
Relatives of teenagers detained during post-election protests in Venezuela are urging UNICEF to intervene and demand their "immediate release."
On Monday, October 21, a group of family members delivered a formal request to UNICEF's headquarters in Caracas, highlighting the "arbitrary detention" of their children and the conditions that violate their human rights.
Since the controversial re-election of President Nicolás Maduro on July 28, 164 teenagers have been arrested, with 68 still in custody facing charges of "terrorism" and "inciting hatred."
The protests, which resulted in 27 fatalities, two of whom were military personnel have led to over 2,400 detentions.
The families allege that their children have been denied access to private legal representation and vital case documents, AFP reports. They claim that detainees have experienced "ill-treatment" to coerce them into falsely admitting they were "hired" by the opposition amid ongoing allegations of electoral fraud.
Katherine Martinez, mother of a 17-year-old girl detained in Valencia for sharing messages and memes about the political situation, pleaded for compassion from the President.
The families are also requesting authorisation for a UNICEF team to visit the detention facilities to assess the conditions and provide necessary medical and psychological support.
Maduro has been declared re-elected for a third consecutive term (2025-2032) by the National Electoral Council, which has yet to release a detailed vote count as mandated by law. In contrast, the opposition claims that its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, who is currently in exile in Spain, won the election.
