UN mission calls for a comprehensive investigation into Baduel's death

Venezuelan prosecutor alleged that Raúl Baduel died of COVID-19

This Thursday, the Independent International Mission of the United Nations (UN), through a statement, demanded from the Government of Nicolás Maduro a "thorough investigation", transparent and independent into the cause of death of General Raúl Isaías Baduel.

In addition, in the document the agency urges the Venezuelan authorities to share the results of the investigation with Baduel's relatives, following the Minnesota protocol.

Let us remember that General Baduel, died last Tuesday, October 12, at the age of 66 due to a cardiorespiratory arrest as a result of Covid-19; this information was released by the Venezuelan authorities.

News that has generated a great controversy, due to the conditions of deprivation of liberty that General Baduel had.

In this case, the United States has demanded an independent investigation from the Venezuelan regime to clarify the death of the political prisoner. He also indicated that in Venezuela political prisoners are in deplorable conditions.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday that Baduel's death "is a reminder of the deplorable conditions that political prisoners face in the custody of the Maduro regime."

"Our hearts go out to the families of political prisoners who have died in Venezuela unjustly detained in the custody of the regime," Price said.

In addition, he expressed solidarity with the families of all political prisoners who have died in the country unjustly "detained in the custody of the regime," and called for the immediate release of the others imprisoned for ideological reasons.

The OAS joined the claim

The Organization of American States (OAS) has also joined the claim against the Venezuelan government, so this Thursday, the secretary general of the organization, Luis Almagro, said that he will request the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to carry out the exhumation and autopsy of the general's remains.

Relatives of Raúl Isaías Baduel rule out that he has died from Covid-19

Baduel's relatives have rejected the part of the Venezuelan authorities, which conclude that the death was as a consequence of Covid-19, and affirm that the general was left to die in jail.

"My father, at the time I spoke with him that Saturday, always manifested symptoms associated with a post-surgical process (...) he never manifested symptoms related to something similar to COVID-19," said Nadeska Baduel, daughter of the political prisoner.

Likewise, the general's daughter maintained that “the way in which they have acted in violation of all the fundamental rights of my father has been progressive; and added to this, the process of deterioration to which the regime has played in the case of my father has also been progressive”.

At the Bello Monte morgue in Caracas, Margareth Baduel, the general's daughter, told the press that her brother, Josnars Adolfo Baduel, was also detained in the same cell with his father.

"If so, my father had COVID-19 and was so bad, how did they not give him timely medical attention and why was my brother begging for medical attention that never came?"

For his part, one of the military's lawyers, such as Omar Mora Tosta, have announced that they will continue to file complaints with international organizations regarding the death of the general.

They denounce threats against one of Baduel's children

Tosta, during an interview with journalist César Miguel Rondón, said that the son of the former defense minister, who is in custody, was threatened to force him to say that his father had died of Covid-19.

“The family finds out about the death of General Baduel through the tweet published by the regime. The daughters moved to El Helicoide, but they were not allowed to see the body; However, they managed to speak with Josnar Adolfo who told them that, with threats to torture him, they forced him to record a video for him to assume and give them the reason that his father was ill with COVID-19, that they had treated him, and they had given him attention. To which Josnas Adolfo said: 'No sir. So they torture me again, I'm not going to say it”, said the lawyer.

Raúl Isaías Baduel and his relationship with Chavismo

General Raúl Isaías Baduel was a military man and politician; for many years he was an ally of the late former president Hugo Chávez.

In fact, he served as general commander of the Army and Minister of Defense; He is also known for actively participating in the restoration of power in 2002, when Chávez was deposed.

But despite his sympathy for socialism, in 2007 he changed his position, opposing the constitutional reform promoted by Chávez and the National Assembly at that time. Two years later, in 2009, the regime decided to arrest him and disqualify him politically until the end of his sentence.

However, in 2015 he was released on parole, until in 2017 Nicolás Maduro sent him back behind bars, where he remained until his death.

According to the Venezuelan Justice, Baduel had breached certain premises.