The first detainees of the interim government. The mobilization of workers heading to the Miraflores Palace this Thursday, April 9, which was prevented by officials of the Bolivarian National Police at Plaza El Venezolano, culminated in five detainees.
Eduardo Torres, lawyer and human rights defender and member of the NGO Provea, reported this Friday morning, April 10, from the PNB detention center in Maripérez, Caracas, that Ort Betancourt, CI V-31.110.676; César Gómez, CI V-9,994,622; Adrián Balza, CI V-33.071.697; Tonny Zapata, CI V-17.558.540 and another citizen whose name has not yet been confirmed, were arrested after the altercations in the city center.
We thought there were two detainees from yesterday’s march and there are five; It is very unfortunate. The call is to the people and governments of the world,” said the human rights defender, in front of the police station.
The mobilization of workers, who were heading to Miraflores to request a meeting with the acting president Delcy Rodríguez, demand salary improvements and the repeal of laws harmful to the working class, was repressed in several parts of the city. Despite police attempts to prevent their advance, the protesters managed to overcome at least six security cordons.
Orb Betancourt, the father of one of the detained young people, denounced through a video that the arrest occurred within the framework of a peaceful march called by unionists and workers for the fight for labor rights.
“They were unjustly detained, since they allege that they broke barricades. It was a legal march, called peacefully to reach and protest the power here in Caracas,” said the father of the detained young man.
Betancourt pointed out that in the demonstration there were no attacks with stones, sticks or violence by the protesters and that the police officers were the ones who resorted to violence to end the demonstration.
“They did throw blunt containers, bottles, sticks to intimidate us. We were aware that, by taking away the leaders who were in front of the demonstration, the intention was to appease the spirits of the march,” he said.
The father called on international organizations such as the United Nations to speak out after what happened. “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, please, for dedicating yourself to this cause that is so necessary for the entire Venezuelan struggle, for young people, for freedom, for democracy and for a country that we all love,” he added.
