Former Venezuelan Minister of the Interior and Justice Miguel Rodriguez Torres thanked this Saturday the former president of the Spanish Government Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero for mediating to make his release effective, after almost five years, which took place in Caracas, after which he immediately left for Madrid.
“I want to make a special mention of (former) president Zapatero that, for almost three years, tirelessly battled until we achieve this success and to whom I will be eternally grateful for his gesture, solidarity and affection”, says the former minister in a video published by local media.
Until now, the authorities have offered no information about this release, which comes two days after the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduromet in Caracas with the former president of the Spanish Government, who has acted as a mediator in various political affairs in the country.
The statement by Rodríguez Torres, a general in the Armed Forces who directed the intelligence services in the country between 2010 and 2014, was recorded, according to himself, minutes before leaving Venezuela.
“It is a moment that for me is contradictory, (of) great happiness because I have been released after five years in what I called the gray box, (but) I am ready to travel outside my land, leave my beloved Venezuela“, express.
The former minister also thanked representatives of the United Nations, Chavismo and the opposition for interceding in favor of his release, which was achieved after four years and 10 months locked upaccused of instigating a rebellion.
Without giving further details, Rodríguez Torres says that his release took place after years of battle and, to some extent, thanks to the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, which handles cases of those considered political prisoners.
The general led the government’s police response to the wave of anti-government protests in 2014 that resulted in 43 dead and hundreds injured.
In 2018 he was arrested by intelligence agents and, since then, his lawyers and relatives have denounced the alleged ill-treatment he received in prison, as well as the lack of medical attention that aggravated his health conditions.
Source: Lasexta
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