• Urgent Action

Urgent Action Update: NGO Prisoners of Conscience Conditionally Released (Venezuela: UA 3.21)

February 11, 2021

On 10 February, prisoners of conscience and staff members from Azul Positivo, a medical and humanitarian NGO in Zulia (Western Venezuela) were conditionally released from detention. Johan León Reyes, Yordy Bermúdez, Layners Gutiérrez Díaz, Alejandro Gómez Di Maggio and Luis Ferrabuz remain charged with financial crimes and ‘association to commit crimes’ and must report themselves to court every 30 days. Amnesty International considers their prosecution to be solely based on the humanitarian work carried out by the NGO they work for Azul Positivo. They are prisoners of conscience and their freedom must be unconditional.

TAKE ACTION:
  1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 3.21. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
CONTACT INFORMATION
President Nicolás Maduro Palacio de Miraflores Av. Norte 10, Caracas 1012, Distrito Capital, Venezuela Tel: +58 212-8063111 Twitter: @NicolasMaduro
Ambassador Carlos Vecchio Embassy of Venezuela Twitter: @carlosvecchio Facebook: @VenezuelainUS Instagram: @VenezuelainUS Salutation: Dear Ambassador

SAMPLE LETTER Dear President Maduro, I am dismayed to learn of the continued prosecution of civil society and humanitarian workers belonging to Azul Positivo. Johan León Reyes, Yordy Bermúdez, Layners Gutiérrez Díaz, Alejandro Gómez Di Maggio, Miguel Guerra Raydan, and Luis Ferrebuz are prisoners of conscience and their release from detention must be unconditional, not subject to criminal charges and restrictions to their freedom. Azul Positivo’s work as a humanitarian organization is admirable and much needed in Venezuela. Their work must be guaranteed, protected, and celebrated, not criminalized. I call upon you to ensure the immediate and unconditional end to the prosecution of all the staff of Azul Positivo and to end the harassment, prosecution, and censorship of all civil society organizations working to protect the rights of all Venezuelans. Yours sincerely, [YOUR NAME] ADDITIONAL RESOURCES