On December 20, 2023, Guillermo Zárraga was conditionally released after over three years of arbitrary detention in Venezuela. Three other victims of arbitrary detention continue suffering the authorities’ neglect of their right to health and safety. Emirlendris Benítez is a mother and tradeswoman arbitrarily detained in August 2018 and subjected to torture. Juan Carlos Marrufo and María Auxiliadora Delgado are a married couple detained since March 2019. All are unfairly held by authorities under the responsibility of President Nicolas Maduro. We call on him to ensure their unconditional release and, while in custody, ensure they receive adequate medical attention immediately.
take action:
- 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.
- Click here to let us know the actions you took on Second Urgent Action 96.23. 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 Nicolas Maduro
Presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela,
Edificio Palacio de Miraflores,
Avenida Urdaneta,
Caracas, Venezuela
Twitter: @NicolasMaduro
Consulate of Venezuela in Boston
Consul General Mr. Omar Fernando Sierra
545 Boylston Street, 3th Floor Boston Massachusetts 02116 United States
Phone: (617) 266-9368
Email: [email protected]
sample letter:
Dear Mr. Nicolas Maduro,
The continued neglect of the health and safety of those imprisoned in Venezuela is alarming. Emirlendris Benítez, Juan Carlos Marrufo and María Auxiliadora Delgado are currently unfairly detained for political reasons in Venezuelan detention centers. All three are suffering from severe health conditions that need urgent medical attention, which has been repeatedly and unduly denied by authorities under your command.
Emirlendris Benítez’s is a victim of arbitrary detention, torture, gender-based violence, discrimination, unfair trial, and inhumane prison conditions. While she endures these unacceptable conditions, she requires urgent surgery to treat grave health conditions resulting from the grave human rights violations she’s suffered since her arrest in August 2018. María Auxiliadora Delgado and Juan Carlos Marrufo require urgent medical tests to assess concerning health conditions that put their safety, and potentially their lives, at risk. They were first arrested on March 19, 2019, by the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).
Emirlendris Benítez, Juan Carlos Marrufo, and María Auxiliadora Delgado should be immediately and unconditionally released. While they remain in custody of the state, you must guarantee their life, health, and safety. We urge you to urgently grant them access to trusted and adequate medical care.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
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