Venezuela’s interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, has ordered an investigation on Monday into the death of political prisoner Victor Hugo Quero Navas in state custody.
Quero’s mother, Carmen Navas, 81, died on Sunday, just days after confirming her son’s death, sending shockwaves across the country.
Quero, 51, was arrested in January 2025 on terrorism charges, a charge regularly used to lock up dissidents under the ousted socialist president, Nicolas Maduro.
Navas searched tirelessly for her son during his detention but failed to confirm his whereabouts until authorities reported his death in early May. Her loved ones said she put off dealing with her own health problems to focus on finding him.
The ministry said on May 7 that “after examining his (Quero’s) file,” it could confirm that he died on July 24, 2025 of “acute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary thromboembolism” in a military hospital in Caracas.
It claimed that while in custody, Quero had given no information about family members and no relative had formally requested a visit.
Following the news of his death, Navas visited her son’s grave and demanded his remains be exhumed for identification. After doing so, she held a small funeral in Caracas.
Rodriguez “ordered a thorough investigation to clarify what happened and requested the cooperation of the Ombudsman’s Office and Public Prosecutor’s Office,” according to an official statement released on Monday.
“Once the investigation is concluded, the country will be fully informed of the results and subsequent actions,” the statement added.
The prosecutor’s office said on May 8 it was launching a criminal investigation into the case.
Around 20 political prisoners have died in custody in Venezuela since 2014, according to rights group Foro Penal.
Despite the adoption of an amnesty for political prisoners in February, a month after Maduro’s ouster by the United States, around 500 remain behind bars, rights groups say.
AFP
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