Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab. File photo.
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, clarified that the six Venezuelans who were sentenced for conspiracy were not actually union leaders, despite being labeled as such by certain private media sources. These individuals, who are part of the subversive organization known as the Unidad de Resistencia Popular (Popular Resistance Unit, URP) have received a 16-year prison sentence for their involvement in plotting acts of terrorism during a 2022 parade.
In a press conference held at the headquarters of the Attorney General’s Office in Caracas on Thursday, August 3, Saab reported that the six people who have been sentenced are Alcides José Bracho (alias Víctor), Emilio Antonio Negrín (alias Pirela), Gabriel José Blanco (alias Ricardo), Reinaldo Cortez (alias Cortez), Alonzo Valentín Meléndez (alias Valentín), and Néstor Astudillo (alias Orlando).
The attorney general explained that the group had planned to carry out a series of terrorist acts, including an “assault on the military enlistment office of San Jacinto in Mérida state in order to take possession of the weapons stored there, which, according to their information, consisted of a total of 120 FAL model rifles.”
Attorney General Saab added that the group had planned to sabotage the independence day celebration of July 5, 2022, “where the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and the Military High Command were present.”
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During the arrest, carried out from July 4 to July 9, 2022, the six men were apprehended with evidence of criminalistic interest that linked them to a subversive group.
The leader of the organization was Alcides José Bracho, alias Víctor, who worked under the instructions and financing of Ángelo Heredia, a former officer of the Bolivarian National Guard who had deserted and was reportedly in Colombia at that time.
Saab reported that the six were sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment by the Second Court of First Instance in Function of Trial with Jurisdiction in Cases of Terrorism, Corruption and Organized Crime, for the crimes of conspiracy and association with criminal intent.
The attorney general clarified the situation regarding the six Venezuelans who were prosecuted, aiming to dispel the misinformation being circulated by the media that portrays them as victims. “False information is being spread presenting a group of conspirators as trade unionists who have been prosecuted and sentenced for defending the rights of workers,” he stated.
Saab emphasized that during the trial, none of the six presented any evidence accrediting them as members of any union. He also stated that in the web page of the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS), the six have been listed as “unemployed,” which means that they do not work under any state institution.
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According to the attorney general, the convicted persons acted as members of a criminal structure “to execute subversive acts in different states such as Zulia, La Guaira, Falcón, and the Capital District, obtaining support from Colombia.”
Human rights and the UN
Saab further stated that in order to promote truth and transparency on this case, he has met with a human rights commission of the United Nations to clarify the situation. He also presented a photo of the meeting at the press conference.
“The members of the UN commission were satisfied with the explanation that these people were not linked to any union, and that they have been prosecuted for carrying out conspiratorial acts against the State,” Saab said.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/KZ
