politics
May 9, 2026
What does the Minnesota Protocol establish regarding deaths in state custody?
Analysis of the Minnesota Protocol in relation to the death of political prisoner Víctor Quero and the demand for an independent investigation.
TL;DR
- Human rights organizations are demanding an independent investigation into the death of political prisoner Víctor Quero.
- The investigation should adhere to the standards of the 2016 Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Deaths.
- The Minnesota Protocol provides guidelines for investigating deaths in state custody, including those potentially resulting from the state's failure to protect life.
- Víctor Quero, aged 51, was detained in January 2025 and confirmed dead on May 7, 2025, by the Ministry for the Penitentiary Service.
- His mother had been searching for him for over a year prior to the official confirmation of his death.
- The Ministry stated Quero died on July 24, 2025, at a military hospital in Caracas due to digestive hemorrhage and acute febrile syndrome, with the official death certificate citing acute respiratory failure.
- The Ministry also claimed no family members had visited Quero, leading to the state's burial of his remains.
- Foro Penal and other NGOs had previously raised concerns about Quero's disappearance and alleged that legal attempts, such as habeas corpus, were rejected.
- The Public Ministry announced a criminal investigation into Quero's death and ordered the exhumation of his body.
- A court had previously rejected an amnesty request for Quero, deeming the alleged crimes ineligible for such benefits.