More than 150 imprisoned military members in Venezuela denounced judicial arbitrary actions amid a hunger strike

An archive photo of the Ramo Verde prison building (EFE/Miguel Gutiérrez)More than 150 military personnel imprisoned at the Ramo Verde prison, in Miranda state, denounced judicial irregularities, lack of institutional response, and violations of due process in a letter released this Saturday by opposition leader María Corina Machado. The inmates announced an indefinite peaceful protest until they receive concrete answers. In the handwritten document, the detainees described a "situation of helplessness, uncertainty, and legal irregularity," which they attributed to "the disregard for and systematic violation" of their "constitutional guarantees, human rights, and due process." The letter states that there are military personnel who have already served their sentences but remain detained because they have not received their respective release orders. It also mentions case files with no assigned court and no defined outcome, a situation that, according to the signatories, creates a "legal limbo." The prisoners also denounced that the appeals they have filed remain stalled without justification. "The appeals filed are suffering an unjustified paralysis, repeatedly violating the legally established time limits in criminal and military procedural law," they stated. The military personnel announced that, given the "absolute lack of institutional response, the definitive exhaustion of ordinary channels, and the persistent violation of procedural rights," they will "formally" begin a peaceful, collective protest. The text assures that the action will respect the prison facilities and the integrity of the officials in charge of custody. "This measure will be maintained indefinitely until effective, verifiable working groups are established and concrete answers are given," the detainees warned. The military's letter, to which María Corina Machado had access (@MariaCorinaYA)Among their demands is the immediate release of those who have already completed their sentences, both in Ramo Verde and in other detention centers. They also proposed that military personnel imprisoned for political reasons be allowed to obtain freedom in exile, for which they requested the support of Norway and other countries. The signatories demanded the presence of the Public Defender's Office and international human rights protection organizations to oversee the situation and guarantee the lives and integrity of those taking part in the protest. Machado stated on her X account that she received the letter through relatives of the political prisoners in Ramo Verde and asked for support so that "the whole world knows what they are suffering." "These military citizens have had all their human rights and guarantees violated. With immense courage, they have decided to raise their voices through the most extreme recourse: a hunger strike. May this cry for freedom from there, clinging to that cell bar, be heard throughout the world. They are not alone. Their country stands with them demanding justice and Freedom!" the opposition leader wrote. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on November 6, 2026, alongside relatives of political prisoners (REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners reported on Friday that more than 30 military personnel imprisoned in Ramo Verde had accumulated more than 96 hours of hunger strike to demand their release. Chavismo and sectors of the opposition began the fourth round of negotiations promoted by the United States in Caracas this Friday, with the aim of advancing legal and institutional reforms that lay the groundwork for transparent elections in Venezuela. The delegations met behind closed doors at the Gran Meliá Caracas Hotel, in a central area of the capital. Opposition leader María Corina Machado's political movement is not taking part in these meetings. The agenda includes a review of legal and judicial frameworks to advance the renewal of the country's institutions. For the moment, only photographers were granted access to the venue, and no public statements from the parties' representatives are scheduled. The meeting is the first since Machado's return to Venezuela. The opposition leader expressed her expectation that the dialogue tables will allow progress toward the calling of elections, although her presence at the meetings is not expected. (With information from EFE)