Baduel's family demands a thorough investigation 1:07
(CNN Spanish) -
The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, announced this Thursday that he will request the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to carry out the exhumation and autopsy of the remains of retired Venezuelan general Raúl Isaías Baduel.
According to Almagro, the former defense minister of Venezuela would be the tenth prisoner for political reasons to die behind bars.
While the official insisted that Venezuela should release those detained for political reasons, Omar Mora Tosta, a lawyer for the Baduel family, said that what happened should "draw the attention of the international community."
Mora Tosta, who participated in the press conference from the OAS, demanded that independent investigations be carried out to determine the causes of the retired general's death.
Lawyer denounces years of inhumane treatment to General Baduel 2:23
Baduel's death, on Tuesday in a Caracas prison, was known through a tweet from the Minister of the Penitentiary Service, Mirelys Contreras.
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"We regret to inform that today, citizen Raúl Baduel died of a cardiorespiratory arrest due to complications derived from covid-19," Contreras wrote.
"Having the first immunization dose of the vaccine, he received the rigorous medical care in his place of detention," added the official.
Since Baduel's death became known, relatives have denied the versions of the government of Nicolás Maduro, including that of Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who insisted on attributing Baduel's death to complications from the COVID-19.
Baduel was buried this Wednesday in a Caracas cemetery.