Venezuelan doctor sentenced to 30 years in prison for criticizing Nicolas Maduro on WhatsApp
Marggie Orozco, a 65-year-old general practitioner, was sentenced to the maximum penalty after being accused of
A court in Venezuela sentenced a doctor to the maximum penalty for criticizing the government of Nicolas Maduro in a WhatsApp audio message, two human rights organizations reported.
Marggie Orozco, a general practitioner of Orozco, 65, incarcerated in the Tachira prison, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, accused of “treason, incitement to hatred, and conspiracy.”
Orozco was arrested in August of last year, in the midst of the post-electoral crisis following Maduro's disputed reelection, explained the NGO Justice, Encounter, and Forgiveness.
Community leaders aligned with Chavismo denounced her to the authorities after she criticized the government in a WhatsApp audio message and called for “participation in the July 28, 2024 elections,” the NGO said.
The human rights committee of the Vente Venezuela party, led by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, detailed that in the audio, Orozco complained about the distribution of domestic gas cylinders in the community.
According to the organizations, Orozco suffered two heart attacks in the last two years. The most recent was in September 2024, while she was already detained.
“She suffers from chronic depression after the painful loss of two of her children, one a victim of an attempted robbery and the other in an accident,” said Justice, Encounter, and Forgiveness.
Maduro's reelection for a third consecutive term sparked protests that left more than 2,400 detained. Some 2,000 were released months later.
After the protests, Maduro asked his supporters to report “fascists” through an app created to distribute bonuses and subsidized food. Chavismo often uses the term to refer to opponents.
In Venezuela, there are some 882 political prisoners, according to the most recent count by the NGO Foro Penal.
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