“Since we couldn’t kill them, we’re going to drive them crazy.”that chilling sentence from the highly awarded film “The 12 Year Old Night”, seems to be the inspiration that some of the perverse high officials of the Venezuelan regime are applying in the destruction of the political prisoners of the Rodeo I prison; the majority of those Venezuelan political prisoners They have not seen their children for almost 11 months.without phone calls, much less conjugal visits, they have not received a hug or even a touch from their parents, their children, their wives, from anyone; sleeping and eating in the midst of filth.
The aforementioned film reflects what happened in Uruguay under the military dictatorship of 1973. It tells that, on an autumn night, nine Tupamaro prisoners are taken from their cells in a secret military operation. For more than a decade, isolated in tiny cells, most of the time hooded, tied, in silence, deprived of their basic needs, barely fed, and seeing their senses reduced to a minimum. Among those prisoners was Pepe Mujica, who later became president of Uruguay.
But if what happens in the film with those nine prisoners is terrible, what is currently happening with the prisoners of the El Rodeo I prison, in Venezuela, is brutal, because silence is added to what hundreds of prisoners are experiencing. of the vast majority of their relatives for fear of losing the little they are allowed during each visit.
Although on days like yesterday they couldn’t see them because The government ordered the militarization of the area where the Rodeo prison is located, which consists of several buildings, with Rodeo I being the one specially remodeled to almost completely replicate what happens in the famous 2018 movie.
All family members are hoodedregardless of whether they are elderly, claustrophobic, suffer from anxiety or any consequence that wearing a black hood causes them, as if isolating them from the world. Some family members hold on to the cane to avoid falling when they become disoriented; The custodian hugs them to help them walk, which deepens the feeling of disgust and repudiation.
For a year, the then Minister of the Penitentiary Regime, Vice Admiral Celsa Sirley Bautista Ontiveroswho took office on February 13, 2023, had been preparing the remodeling of Rodeo I, and entrusted the General Luis Marcel Ojeda inaugurate the horrible prison. Due to the power struggle, a strike was promoted in the prisons, which served as an excuse to dismiss VA Bautista, who reported to the Admiral in Chief. Remigio Ceballos Ichaso; Last June, the until then deputy was appointed Julio José García Zerpawho responds to Diosdado Hair.
Tortured
Nothing changed for the political prisoners in the Rodeo I prison, with the change of minister; They have been without books for almost 11 months, without their relatives being able to bring them water, subject to the contaminated water they are supplied with. They also cannot receive food from their family and must resign themselves to those that are intentionally given to them with low calorie and protein levels.
They haven’t seen their children. Imagine that a child does not see or hear his father for 11 months.even more so that his father does not see his son while he grows, that he cannot provide him with words of love and tenderness. Some kids believe their father is dead or that he abandoned them.
It may seem trivial, but these detained men have been reduced so that their palate loses the magic of flavor, like the one that sometimes drives human beings to eat chocolate or a crispy potato.
They are annihilating these men, as in the aforementioned film, taking away their hope, keeping them locked up for 23 hours, in tiny, smelly cellsbecause they are only allowed one incomplete hour of sport that begins when they are taken to the field, hooded and handcuffed. They are not allowed out to the patio on Saturdays and Sundays, because they are visiting days.
They are imprisoned and their human rights continue to be violated, both of them and their families, who say that sometimes they record them with phones from the moment they arrive at the place, recordings that are sent to the perverse subjects who enjoy torture.
All letters received or sent are read, conversations are recorded. The prisoner cannot hug or touch his family, or even see him nearby because they do so through glass. The visit is 20 minutes or less, as decided by the perpetrator.
There are relatives who come from remote parts of the country, which represents a sacrifice not only of time, but also of money, to limit themselves to 20 minutes, where they also complain in an angry tone if, for example, they talk about Trump or María Corina.
The greatest torture is that they play audios of Diosdado Cabello’s Con El Mazo programs, Nicolás Maduros’ programs and propaganda news from the VTV channel.
Neither judge nor defender
The vast majority of children have not seen or heard their parents, the same goes for children or parents who live outside the country. The only date they were allowed to send a letter to their children was Father’s Day. Some older children, who read and write, and who knew their parents’ handwriting, cried because they were certain that he was alive, since they believe that they have died or that they will never return.
At first, when the relatives began to ask about the calls, they were told that they were installing the telephone lines, but that this would be resolved quickly; They kept them deceived and that is how everything has gone on since 2024. And the family members did not insist either due to the fear of threats, as if they were giving up the right to make a phone call.
To this situation we must add what happens with the hearings that have been established solely electronically, without the public defender imposed on them being at their side. They are not even taken to court and the defender does not visit him, violating the Public Defense Law.
Several defenders have argued that the head of the Public Defender’s Office, Daniel Ramirez Herreraand the sister of Nicolás Maduro, María Adelaida Maduro Morosthey are not authorized to accompany their clients. For this reason they do not appear in the Prison Visit book, which is in the Public Defense and which is mandatory for defenders who should visit the detainee at least once a week.
What is happening is so serious that the prisoners of Rodeo I They participate in the telematic hearing with the guards and torturers at their sidewhich does not represent a statement free of coercion or duress.
Those accused of terrorism in Rodeo I do not meet their judge in person, which is a violation of the Law and due process. The judge also does not allow them to speak for more than 3 or 5 minutes, preventing them from defending themselves, from being able to say everything that corresponds to their defense.
Afterwards they are returned to their cell, where a cement bed awaits them because they are not allowed mats, much less mattresses, so they are all suffering from their backs. There is no consideration for the sick who are not allowed to take even substances for their build and nutrition.
