Venezuelan opposition activist Jesús Martínez Medina died today, according to the leader of his party, Maria Corina Machado, due to a lack of medical care in the prison in Anzoátegui (east) where he had been held since the disputed presidential elections in July.
Announcement of the death of Medina, 36 years old, who had been detained in Anzoátegui since July 29, was made on social media by family members, political parties and Venezuelan opponents, including Maria Corina Machado.
"Jesús Manuel Martínez Medina, a member of our team in Aragua de Barcelona, in the state of Anzoátegui, passed away today at the hands of the regime. Another crime by Maduro and his regime. He died at their hands, he died due to the inhumane conditions in that he was kidnapped", reported Machado on the social network X.
The opposition leader adds that Medina was a witness at a polling station in the July 28 presidential elections, that he suffered from diabetes and had heart problems.
"He was kidnapped by SEBIN [intelligence services] in his own home on the night of July 29, without an arrest warrant and without any reason. He was taken to some subhuman dungeons in Anzóategui, was heavily mistreated and was in unsanitary conditions so precarious that there was necrosis in both legs", explains the opponent.
Machado also denounces that "for months, he was denied any medical attention" because he lacked "authorizations from superiors in Caracas".
"Finally, after so much time and complaints, he was taken to the Luís Razetti hospital in Barcelona. The doctors, upon seeing the state he was in, decided that they should amputate both of his legs. In the middle of the procedure, this morning, he passed away", explained.
Several Venezuelan political leaders and opposition parties today condemned Medina's death and blamed the State for what happened and the lack of timely medical attention.
According to the Venezuelan non-governmental organization (NGO) Foro Penal, 1,963 people are currently detained for political reasons in Venezuela, including 69 teenagers, since July 29, when post-presidential election protests began.
"We registered and qualified the largest number of political prisoners known in Venezuela, at least in the 21st century, and we continue to receive and register detainees", reported the NGO on the social network X.
According to the organization, among those arrested, 1,720 are men and 243 women and 1,801 are civilians and 162 military personnel, with six new arrests recorded in the last week.
The NGO also stated that only the 148 detainees were convicted by the courts.
"More than 9 thousand people continue to be arbitrarily subject to measures restricting their freedom", he adds.
Venezuela held presidential elections on July 28, after which the National Electoral Council (CNE) awarded victory to the country's current President, Nicolas Maduro, with just over 51% of the votes, while the opposition claims that their candidate, former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia obtained almost 70% of the votes.
The Venezuelan opposition and many countries have denounced electoral fraud and demanded that voting records be presented for independent verification.
The election results were contested in the streets, with demonstrations repressed by security forces, with, according to authorities, more than 2,400 arrests, 27 deaths and 192 injuries.
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