health
May 5, 2026
Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons denounced new deaths in state custody in early May
The Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons (OVP) denounced this Tuesday the death of two persons deprived of liberty during the first days of May, while under the custody of the Venezuelan State, amid what it described as a profound crisis of the penitentiary system. The victims were identified as José Espinales, 23, held in the Fénix Penitentiary Community, in Lara state, and Francisco Segundo Ojeda, who was detained at the 26 de Julio Judicial Penitentiary, in Guárico.
TL;DR
- Two individuals, José Espinales and Francisco Segundo Ojeda, died while in state custody in Venezuelan prisons in early May.
- The Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons (OVP) attributes these deaths to inadequate and untimely medical care within detention centers.
- Espinales suffered from a respiratory condition and was hospitalized for over five months, allegedly shackled to a bed, with his family covering medical costs.
- Ojeda's death is cited as an example of a recurring pattern of inmates falling ill without receiving proper medical attention.
- The OVP states these incidents are part of a structural issue of increasing medical-related deaths in Venezuelan prisons, violating inmates' rights to life, health, and dignity.
- The organization calls for authorities to comply with Article 272 of the Venezuelan Constitution, which mandates the state to ensure adequate conditions in penitentiary facilities.