The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro announced Thursday that he would demand before the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights the exhumation and autopsy of General Raúl Baduel, one of the most famous Venezuelan political prisoners, died in custody.
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"
This autopsy is absolutely crucial to determine the responsibilities that may exist
" in this case, said Luis Almagro, after a meeting at the OAS headquarters in Washington with the lawyer of the Baduel family, Omar Mora. Tosta, and representatives of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
The death of General Raul Baduel, 66, was announced Tuesday by the Venezuelan Attorney General, who assured that the detainee had succumbed to Covid-19 after receiving treatment and a first dose of vaccine.
Andreina Baduel, the general's daughter, accused the "
regime
" of having "
murdered
" her father, saying on Twitter that it was "
false that he had the Covid-19
".
On Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Venezuela for an "
independent investigation
" into the death, and called for medical treatment for all detainees as well as the release of those arbitrarily imprisoned.
General Baduel had helped ex-President Hugo Chavez (1999-2013) to regain power during the 2002 coup attempt in Venezuela.
Rewarded with a ministerial post, he then became an opponent of power and was jailed for eight years for corruption.
Released in 2015, he was arrested again, this time accused of conspiracy.
He has been degraded and removed from the army cadres.
Tenth political prisoner to die in detention since 2013
"
The release of all political prisoners is a moral, ethical, legal imperative,
" said Almagro, stressing that General Raul Baduel is the tenth political prisoner to die in detention since President Nicolas came to power in 2013. Maduro, successor to Hugo Chavez.
“
What we want is to clearly establish the truth: what happened to General Baduel.
And that this turns into a definitive struggle for political prisoners to regain their full freedom,
”Omar Mora Tosta, who called for an independent international commission to investigate the death of Mr. Baduel, told reporters.
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According to him, he was buried in a cemetery in Caracas without the presence of his family, after having died in the arms of his son, Josnars Adolfo Baduel, imprisoned for his alleged participation in a maritime incursion in May 2019 whose goal was to overthrow Nicolas Maduro.
The United States has also demanded an investigation into Mr. Baduel's death, which "
reminds the world of the deplorable and dangerous conditions facing Venezuelan political prisoners held by the Maduro regime
," the department spokesman said. of State, Ned Price at a press conference.