On the case of Rocío San Miguel and General Hernández Da Costa, among other political prisoners in Venezuela

B90179/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Rocío San Miguel and General Hernández Da Costa, among other political prisoners in Venezuela

(2024/2618(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Venezuela,

– having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas there are over 300 political prisoners in Venezuela, some of which have an EU nationality;

B. whereas on 9 February 2024 Rocío San Miguel, a lawyer and human rights activists that has Spanish nationality, was kidnapped by the regime together with family members, and sentenced on politically motivated grounds of suspected attempted conspiracy against Maduro and the regime; whereas she is detained in El Helicoide — notoriously known for human rights abuses, including torture;

C. whereas the Maduro regime expelled the U.N. human rights office accusing them of “colonialist, abusive” behaviour and fomenting political opposition, which was prompted after the U.N. commissioner condemned the arrest of San Miguel;

D. whereas General Hernández Da Costa is a political prisoner since August 2018; whereas on 19 February 2024, he was forcibly transferred to the prison El Rodeo 1, designed to detain political prisoners; whereas an unknown number of prisoners were forcibly transferred to this prison in precarious conditions, without sufficient sustenance; whereas families are allowed 15 minutes visits the prisoners through a glass, after being blindfolded; whereas the General suffers from medical ailments that require constant medical treatment, which he is being denied;

E. whereas on 21 February 2024, former political prisoner Ronald Ojeda was forcibly disappeared in Santiago, Chile; whereas his mutilated body was found some days later in another part of the city;

F. whereas four staffers of the presidential candidate of the opposition to the regime María Corina Machado, namely Juan Freites, Luis Camacaro, Guillermo Lopez and Emil Brandt, have also been detained on political grounds and are incommunicado;

1. Strongly condemns the Maduro Regime for imprisoning hundreds of political prisoners;

2. Deplores that these prisoners are held in conditions that don’t meet the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners;

3. Demands the immediate unconditional release and compensation of all political prisoners, as well as their families and arbitrarily detained persons, while restoring their full rights;

4. Urges the Chilean authorities to investigate the possible connection between the murder of Ronald Ojeda and the Maduro regime;

5. Calls on the VP/HR and the Council to impose stronger sanctions on the Maduro regime, including high-level officials, members of the security forces, members of the regime’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice and Maduro himself;

6. Fully supports the ICC investigations into the Venezuelan regime’s extensive crimes and acts of repression and urges the EU to support the investigations into the alleged crimes against humanity;

7. Calls for the EU to support a return to democracy in Venezuela particularly for the elections of 28 July 2024, which ensures that the leader of the opposition to the regime, María Corina Machado, can participate freely;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the VP/HR, the Member States, the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Organization of American States, the UN Secretary-General and the Venezuelan regime.