Overview
- Venezuela’s penitentiary ministry confirmed Díaz’s death, saying he showed heart-attack symptoms at El Helicoide, received initial care, was transferred to Hospital Clínico Universitario and died minutes later.
- His wife, Leynys Malavé, said the family was given no medical documentation and was denied access to his body, and she demanded formal explanations from authorities.
- Foro Penal confirmed the death under state custody and called for an objective, impartial inquiry in line with the Minnesota Protocol.
- Relatives and opposition leaders allege Díaz repeatedly requested medical attention that was not provided during roughly a year of detention with restricted visits and communication.
- Díaz, a former governor of Nueva Esparta and Acción Democrática leader, had been held at SEBIN’s El Helicoide since November 2024 after the disputed election, and rights groups say his case reflects a wider pattern of custodial deaths of political detainees.