El Helicoide - Febspot

El Helicoide

A collection of 12 posts

Venezuela shows signs of easing authoritarian controls after Maduro’s capture — Static01.nyt.com

Venezuela shows signs of easing authoritarian controls after Maduro’s capture

After U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and removed him to the United States a month earlier, Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has announced plans to close El Helicoide and proposed a mass amnesty while tests of censorship limits and opposition figures emerging from hiding have prompted cautious hopes

Families search Caracas detention centers as at least 66 detainees remain unaccounted for — Static01.nyt.com

Families search Caracas detention centers as at least 66 detainees remain unaccounted for

Families across Venezuela have been camping outside detention centers in Caracas and other cities as they search for relatives taken by state authorities and never acknowledged; rights groups say at least 66 people remain missing even as dozens of political prisoners have been freed. Relatives describe raids and unexplained arrests.

Ángel Godoy freed and returns home to Los Teques after a year in prison — Static01.nyt.com

Ángel Godoy freed and returns home to Los Teques after a year in prison

Ángel Godoy, a 52-year-old political activist and columnist, was freed last Wednesday and returned to his home in Los Teques, about 40 minutes outside Caracas. After a year behind bars he apologized to his son for missing his high school graduation; his son told him, "Now you are,"

Venezuelan government says it will free political prisoners as families wait — Static01.nyt.com

Venezuelan government says it will free political prisoners as families wait

The Venezuelan government announced last week that it would begin freeing "an important number" of political prisoners, but hundreds of families across the country remain uncertain about who will be released or when. Relatives have kept vigils outside detention centers such as Rodeo I and El Helicoide. Nélida

Interim Venezuelan Authorities Free Several U.S. Citizens, State Department Says — Static01.nyt.com

Interim Venezuelan Authorities Free Several U.S. Citizens, State Department Says

Venezuela’s interim government freed several U.S. citizens who had been imprisoned in the country, the State Department said on Tuesday. The releases were the first known U.S. citizens freed after American forces captured President Nicolás Maduro and flew him to the United States to face trial. “We

Caracas residents report fear and phone searches after U.S. raid on Maduro — Api.time.com

Caracas residents report fear and phone searches after U.S. raid on Maduro

Time reports that residents of Caracas say they have been living in fear since U.S. forces struck the capital in the early hours of Jan. 3 during a raid to capture Nicolás Maduro. People interviewed described panic during the blasts—“The noise is something I’ll never forget,” one

Slow releases of Venezuela's political prisoners fuel hope and frustration — Static01.nyt.com

Slow releases of Venezuela's political prisoners fuel hope and frustration

Venezuela’s interim government this week signaled a major release of political prisoners, but families say the promised liberations have been slow to appear. Ramón Guanipa Linares, who flew from Maracaibo to Caracas to see his father, a detained opposition politician, found only rumors and no information about a release.

Families wait outside Caracas prisons after interim government pledges releases — Static01.nyt.com

Families wait outside Caracas prisons after interim government pledges releases

Relatives of political prisoners waited for hours outside prisons in Caracas on Friday after Venezuela’s interim government said it would release an "important number" of imprisoned people, but as of Friday afternoon only nine had been confirmed freed. Family members sat under the scorching sun outside El

El Helicoide prison in Caracas sees some political detainees released — Static01.nyt.com

El Helicoide prison in Caracas sees some political detainees released

As Venezuela’s interim authorities began releasing political prisoners, family members rushed to El Helicoide, the sprawling, spiral-shaped facility in Caracas long associated with state repression under Nicolás Maduro. The building was first conceived in the 1950s as a drive-through shopping mall but later became the headquarters for intelligence services

Enrique Márquez freed after refusing to endorse Maduro’s 2024 victory — Static01.nyt.com

Enrique Márquez freed after refusing to endorse Maduro’s 2024 victory

Enrique Márquez, a centrist opposition lawmaker and former presidential candidate, was released from prison on Thursday after spending about a year in El Helicoide, the Venezuelan secret police’s jail. Mr. Márquez became a target after he refused on state television to sign the official act confirming President Nicolás Maduro’

Venezuela to free 'an important number' of political prisoners, government says — Static01.nyt.com

Venezuela to free 'an important number' of political prisoners, government says

Venezuela’s government announced the release of what it described as “an important number” of political prisoners, both Venezuelan and foreign nationals, on Thursday, the first ostensible gesture of change by the new administration since the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro. Jorge Rodríguez, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly,

Opposing crowds gather outside Manhattan courthouse during Nicolás Maduro arraignment — Static01.nyt.com

Opposing crowds gather outside Manhattan courthouse during Nicolás Maduro arraignment

Opposing crowds gathered in a park outside the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan as Nicolás Maduro was arraigned on the 26th floor, two days after a U.S. raid that removed him from Venezuela. The demonstrators, separated by metal barricades, wore Trump red, the red, blue and yellow of Venezuela