Venezuela concealed detainee’s death for months while mother searched for him
Venezuelan authorities on Thursday acknowledged that detainee Víctor Hugo Quero Navas died more than nine months ago while in state custody — a fact officials kept hidden even as his mother spent months publicly pleading for information about his whereabouts and demanding proof that he was still alive.
In an official statement issued by Venezuela’s Ministry for Penitentiary Services, the government said Quero Navas died on July 24, 2025, after being hospitalized while detained at Rodeo I prison near Caracas.
The revelation came after more than a year of public appeals by his mother, Carmen Teresa Navas, who repeatedly petitioned state institutions, courts and human-rights organizations for information about her son following his arrest in early 2025. Rights groups had classified the case as a possible forced disappearance, arguing that Venezuelan authorities systematically withheld information about his detention status, health condition and location.
According to the ministry, Quero Navas was detained on Jan. 3, 2025, and transferred to the Rodeo I prison complex, a notorious detention facility near Caracas. Officials said he was later taken to the Dr. Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital on July 15, 2025, after suffering from what authorities described as “upper gastrointestinal bleeding and acute febrile syndrome.”
The ministry said he died 10 days later from “acute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary thromboembolism.”
The government statement claimed that no relatives formally requested visitation rights during his detention and said Quero Navas had not provided information about family contacts while incarcerated. Authorities added that, because no family members came forward, he was buried by the state on July 30, 2025, following “legal protocols.”
The disclosure is likely to intensify scrutiny of Venezuela’s detention system and raise new questions about why authorities failed to inform Quero Navas’ family of his death for more than nine months, even as his mother publicly searched for him and international organizations demanded answers.
Alfredo Romero, president of the Human Rights group Foro Penal, reacted angrily to the announcement in a message posted on X.
“Víctor Quero died while he was disappeared!” Romero wrote. “The Penitentiary Ministry says he provided no family information, but his mother went many times to Rodeo I and authorities denied he was there. Outrageous!”
Just days earlier, rights advocates had continued denouncing the case as an ongoing forced disappearance.
On May 5, attorneys with the Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy said a Venezuelan court had denied amnesty measures requested on behalf of Quero Navas, who at the time was still officially considered missing.
“Despite this judicial decision, we will continue demanding answers regarding the whereabouts of Víctor Quero, who remains in forced disappearance,” attorney Moisés Gutiérrez said in a video shared on social media.
Family members said Quero Navas, a 51-year-old merchant, had been arrested by officers from Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency on Jan. 1, 2025, allegedly without a judicial warrant. Since then, relatives said they received conflicting reports from authorities and detention centers, with officials repeatedly denying he was being held there.
Human rights organizations, including Foro Penal, said witnesses reported seeing Quero Navas in August 2025 when he was allegedly transferred for medical treatment, but no verifiable information about his status emerged afterward.
The case had already drawn international attention before Thursday’s announcement.
On April 18, 2026, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted precautionary measures in favor of Quero Navas and his mother, concluding they faced a “serious and urgent situation” that placed their rights to life, personal integrity and health at risk.
The commission said Venezuelan authorities had failed to provide information about Quero Navas’ legal status, health condition or official place of detention despite repeated efforts by his mother to obtain answers.
“The longer the beneficiary’s health condition, legal situation and official location remain unknown, the greater the possibility of irreparable harm to his rights,” the commission said in its resolution.
The group also expressed concern over allegations that Carmen Teresa Navas, described as an elderly woman, had been subjected to intimidation and warnings by state officials while advocating for information about her son.
The commission asked Venezuela to confirm Quero Navas’ location, guarantee medical care, allow communication with relatives and attorneys, and ensure that his mother could continue her advocacy efforts without harassment.
Venezuelan authorities did not explain Thursday why information about Quero Navas’ death had not been disclosed earlier either to his family or to international organizations investigating the case.
The Ministry for Penitentiary Services said it would cooperate with authorities reviewing the matter, expressed condolences to the family and pledged to guarantee the delivery of Quero Navas’ remains.
