By The Diary
Aug 19, 2024, 3:42 PM EDT
Former Venezuelan soccer player Edixon Arévalo Ricardo denounced that when his children were just five and 15 years old, the political police of the Nicolás Maduro administration detained them. This, in the midst of the context of post-election protests.
What happened?
On August 2, almost 20 heavily armed and hooded men from the Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgicm) entered the former player’s house. In that operation they took his wife, his five-year-old son and José Arévalo Jaime (15). The incident took place in the state of Barinas, located 500 kilometers from the capital, Caracas.
“On August 2, 17 heavily armed DGCIM men knocked down the door of my house without any order, without any reason, and took my wife, my 5-year-old son and my 15-year-old son,” he reported.
The former player for Atlético Zamora, of the First Division, explained that hours later his youngest son and his wife were released. However, the teenager remained in prison. Since then, 15 days have passed since his arrest. The young man is being held in a military headquarters.
Torture and violation of human rights
Arévalo also denounced that there are violations of due process in Venezuela, since relatives are not allowed to appoint lawyers to defend detainees.
Torture is part of the daily routine. According to the former footballer, his 15-year-old son was beaten by officers and now suffers from facial paralysis. For this reason he was transferred to a local hospital over the weekend.
This has been denounced by several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Venezuela, such as Fundehullan and Un Mundo Sin Mordaza.
Former Venezuelan footballer who stood out in the 90s
Edixon José Arévalo Ricardo was a former Venezuelan soccer player who played professionally for Atlético Zamora during the 1990s. This team is from the state of Barinas.
He played as a forward and during his time at the club, he stood out as a committed and talented player, contributing significantly to the institution in several seasons. Although he did not achieve international fame, his performance at Atlético Zamora made him a respected figure in local football.
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