A political prisoner who had been held since February was found dead in Venezuelan police custody on Sunday, the NGO Foro Penal told AFP.
Around 20 political prisoners have died in custody in Venezuela since 2014, according to the charity.
Former municipal councilor Jose Manuel Garcia died while being held in custody by municipal police in the city of Anaco, a coordinator for the prisoner’s rights NGO said.
“The body was discovered on May 10, 2026, and then transferred to the National Institute of Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Barcelona, in the Simon Bolivar municipality of Anzoategui state, to officially determine the cause of death, which has not yet been officially reported,” she said.
Former prosecutor Zair Mundaray, who is currently in exile, described Garcia’s detention as “clearly political,” noting that he “had denounced acts of corruption within the mayor’s office.”
Garcia’s death comes after authorities on Thursday acknowledged the death in custody of Victor Hugo Quero Navas nine months ago.
Despite the adoption of an amnesty for political prisoners in February, a month after former president Nicolas Maduro‘s ouster by the US, around 500 remain behind bars, according to NGOs.
