Venezuelan NGO 'Activist' Released From Prison—Legal Process Ongoing

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Colombian-Venezuelan “activist” Martha Lía Grajales, director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) SurGentes, was released from prison in Caracas. Grajales was arrested on August 8 during a protest in front of the United Nations.

She had been detained on charges of incitement to hatred, conspiracy with a foreign government, and criminal association. Despite her release, the legal proceedings against her will continue, and she could face up to 30 years in prison, according to the Attorney General’s Office, for her involvement in actions against “Venezuelan institutions and the peace of the republic.”

Antonio González, the activist’s husband, reported that Grajales was released on Tuesday, August 12, at around 9:00 p.m.

According to a source close to the Venezuelan judiciary, the Attorney General’s Office had asked for a review of the measure that kept Martha Lía Grajales under arrest, following which, she was released. Grajales’ case was used by NGOs, particularly SurGentes, to accuse the Venezuelan government of forced disappearance.

Venezuela Charges NGO Activist With Inciting Hatred, Foreign Conspiracy

Some Venezuelan media reported that the SurGentes website reveals that the NGO is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany. Orinoco Tribune visited the website but found no such references. They may have been deleted from the site.

Screenshots obtained from the website by the Venezuelan media outlet LaIguana.tv shows the following statement: “This publication is funded by the FRL with funds from the BMZ. This publication or parts of it may be used by others free of charge, provided that a reference to the original publication is provided.”

Another venezuelan NGO PROVEA, heavily funded by the United States and headed by Oscar Murillo, referred to the release of Grajales as “a relief for her family” and demanded the release of 807 people whom the organization classifies as “political prisoners.” This number comes from Foro Penal, another NGO identified by Venezuelan authorities as a recipient of US funding.

Lawyer Marino Alvarado, associated with PROVEA, considered the release “a reason to be happy” and questioned Venezuelan judicial institutions. She warned against the normalization of “arbitrariness and abuse of power.” These statements come while President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly called out organizations that “disguise themselves as leftists and Chavistas” for receiving funding from US agencies.

On Monday, during the program Con Maduro+, President Maduro reiterated his accusations against organizations that operate under the guise of human rights defenders but have financial ties to Washington and its European satellites. “There are non-governmental organizations that disguise themselves as leftists and Chavistas, but they are financed by the US State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency,” noted the president.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

OT/SC/SL