The regime of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela, arrested on Wednesday (13) the lawyer and defender of human rights Rusbelia Astudillo, known for her performance in favor of retirees and pensioners.
According to a complaint of the NGO Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clippve), the arrest occurred in the Terrazas del Club Hypic neighborhood, in southeastern Caracas, when the jurist was intercepted by “unidentified people” without a court order or the reason for the action was presented.
Astudillo is a legal advisor to the National Federation of Judicial Workers of Venezuela (FNTJ) and the National Federation of Retired and Pensioners of Venezuela (Fenajupv). Over the years, it has stood out in union activism and in the defense of retirees and servants of the judiciary. Clippve said that until Wednesday night, there was no information about the place of detention, which generated strong concern with its physical integrity and health.
“The arrest of Astudillo, an advanced woman, fits into the systematic practice of persecution” of the Maduro regime, warned Clippve.
The NGO has demanded that the Venezuelan dictatorship immediately inform where the activist is, ensures access to family members and trusted lawyers and respects “fully the guarantees established in due process.” It also claimed that these conditions are assured to all political prisoners in the country.
