Activists blame death of man in prison on Venezuelan officials

Mexico City, Jan. 4, (dpa/GNA) – Human rights activists in Venezuela have blamed the death of an indigenous man in prison on officials.

Salvador Franco died on Sunday in a correctional facility near the capital Caracas, the non-governmental organization Foro Penal claims.

Despite a court order in November, Franco was not taken to hospital for much-needed treatment.
Franco was imprisoned with twelve others from the Pemon indigenous group for an attack on an army battalion in late 2019. According to activists, they were tortured.

In a Twitter post, the head of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, described Franco’s death as “another crime of the dictatorship in Venezuela.”

The OAS and other international organizations have accused the government of socialist President Nicolas Maduro of serious human rights violations for years.

GNA