Venezuelan human rights organizations said on the 17th that a doctor was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a court for treason after criticizing President Maduro in a WhatsApp voice message.
AFP reported that 65-year-old Orozco was given the maximum sentence for "treason, inciting hatred, and conspiracy." A community leader reported her for sending a message deemed disloyal, but the specific content of the message and its recipients have not been made public.
Orozco was arrested in August 2024. At that time, Maduro had been re-elected as president, Venezuela was plunged into crisis, and the opposition and dozens of countries accused the election of fraud.
Maduro's claim of victory sparked public protests, leading to 2,400 arrests, though most were released within a few months.
After the protests ended, Maduro urged his supporters to report "fascists," a term commonly used to refer to members of the opposition.
According to Venezuelan human rights organization JEP, Orozco suffered two heart attacks while in custody.
Venezuelan NGO "Criminal Justice Forum" stated that there are about 882 "political prisoners" in Venezuelan prisons.