Guevara case: In Venezuela, arbitrariness flourishes in ever new ways

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Venezuelan lawyer Juan González, legal representative of former deputy Freddy Guevara, on Thursday (15) described the arrest of the former parliamentarian as “a detention for political purposes” that is “completely absurd”.

“It is, evidently, a detention for political purposes, completely absurd,” Gonzalez assured reporters about Guevara’s case after a judge issued a preventive detention measure early this morning.

Read also:  Interested in Venezuela but don’t speak Spanish? Let us help you

In this regard, he explained that the case is “in the preparatory phase”, so it has a confidential nature, but he considered that the accusation “has no basis”.

The Prosecutor’s Office, which confirmed on Monday that the former parliamentarian was arrested by officers of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin), accused Guevara of being related to “extremist and paramilitary groups associated to the Colombian Government”.

“This Monday (…) the Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested an arrest warrant against Freddy Guevara, who was detained by the Sebin due to his links with extremist and paramilitary groups associated with the Colombian Government”, assured in a brief message Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek Saab.

Guevara, continued the brief statement, “who has had a public record of participation in acts of violence in the past, will be charged with the crimes of terrorism, an attempt against the constitutional order, conspiracy to commit a crime and treason.”

Attorney Gonzalez explained that they are going to file “an appeal” against the measure adopted by the judge since he considered that it “lacks grounds”.

However, he emphasized that, in his opinion, the case is not before “autonomous courts”.

He confirmed that Guevara was charged with three crimes, “financing of terrorism, association to commit a crime and treason”.

He also commented that Guevara “was able to make a statement before the judge”, to whom he explained that the “accusation is an absurdity, it lacks foundation and sense.”

The former parliamentarian’s defence counsel added that he saw him “very serene” and “focused” and “made reference to the fact that he has not been a victim of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” by Sebin officials.

He has also received food, although “he has remained absolutely and totally incommunicado” from his relatives and lawyers.

He reiterated that this is “a total and absolutely arbitrary detention”, for which reason his counsel will denounce it before the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Regarding a possible pardon, such as the one granted by President Nicolás Maduro on August 31 of last year, and from which Guevara benefited, González emphasized that his defendant “is imprisoned by a political decision and a political decision, generally, sets them free.”