In Venezuela, they raid a cultural center financed by the government that served as the headquarters of a coercive sect: they are denounced for torture and sexual slavery

After more than six years of operating under the cover of the facade of a cultural center, the Venezuelan scientific police raided the headquarters of a coercive sect accused, among other crimes, of torture and sexual slavery in the Carabobo state, in Venezuela.

They point to Francisco José Márquez Méndez, alias “El Maestro”, as the leader of the sect. The crimes perpetrated by this subject were exposed thanks to an audiovisual report made by the Decentralized Journalism Instagram account.

The audiovisual material tells the story of the cultural center of the Psycho-Geological Zone (ZPG), where 12 people “lived” under the psychological manipulation of Márquez, who encouraged them to consume marijuana and have sexual relations with each other.

The public complaint, made by two members of ZPG who managed to escape, went viral through material prepared by Decentralized Journalism professionals. In addition, it was reposted by the “influencer” Irrael Gómez and it came into the hands of Venezuelan security agencies, explained El Vigilante.

The journalistic report is endorsed, not only by the two complainants, whose names have not been released to protect the investigation. In addition, psychologist Siboney Pérez, Víctor Méndez, president of the Miranda State College of Psychologists, and criminal lawyer Pedro López appear as sources.

Thus, on January 5, 2023, officials from the Scientific, Criminal and Criminal Investigation Corps (CICPC), from Carabobo state in Venezuela, raided the ZPG headquarters. So far it is only known that they took five people, including Francisco José Márquez, to make statements.

What is the ZPG coercive sect?

According to the audiovisual report, it all began as a sociocultural music production project. The idea included a cafe, a recording studio, a meeting and relaxation space in Guacara, Carabobo state.

Francisco José Márquez Méndez created a collective called “El Viejo Martín”, together with Andrés Estrada, Diego Henríquez, José Leonardo Uzcátegui and his girlfriend Dominique Rafaela Almarza.

They asked the municipal government for a piece of land where some abandoned Cantv offices were located. The then mayor of Guacara, Gerardo Sánchez, handed them over on loan.

According to the complaints, they received money, equipment, construction materials and more, through the Ministry of Popular Power for Communes and Social Movements in collaboration with the Economic and Social Development Bank (Bandes) and the Microfinance Development Fund.

As the report reveals, they received a total of one million dollars and for the first quarter of 2016 the cultural production center was inaugurated with the name Zona Psico-Geológica ZPG.

But suddenly the course of the core changed. Francisco Márquez proclaimed himself “El Maestro” and began to direct each of the steps of his groupmates. “Francisco claims to be God, he claims to be the Messiah and the other members are his 12 disciples,” the video comments.

What are the crimes of the ZPG coercive sect?

As detailed by the complainants, Márquez chose people with psychological problems, victims of abuse in their homes and other types of trauma. He constantly provided them with marijuana and even forced them to have sex with each other.

These drug and sex rituals were a kind of “purification.” Those who refused to participate suffered physical punishment, beatings and confinement. “You couldn’t get close to eat and you could go two or three days without food,” one victim recounted.

During all these years, the “followers” of “El Maestro” were prohibited from contacting their relatives and receiving visits at the ZPG headquarters. Until two of them managed to escape.

(YO)

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