Overview
- Edison José Torres Fernández, 52, detained on December 9, 2025 for allegedly sharing critical messages and charged with treason and criminal association, died on January 10 while in custody.
- He was a veteran officer of the Portuguesa state police, and family groups say he died at the National Police’s Zone 7 facility in Boleita, Miranda.
- The Committee of Relatives for the Freedom of Political Prisoners says authorities have provided no information on the circumstances, cause of death, or any medical care he received.
- The government touted a significant wave of releases, yet NGOs and opposition figures report only about 16–20 political prisoners freed, and families continue to wait outside detention centers for news.
- Foro Penal estimates more than 800 people remain jailed for political reasons, and rights groups say 18 political detainees have died in state custody since 2014.