Let citizens host detained Venezuelans, says Yesenia

HUMAN-rights activist Yesenia Gonzales has suggested that Government allow protesting Venezuelan detainees at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) to be hosted by citizens while under supervision by relevant authorities.

Gonzales made the call in a post after sharing a video of detainees singing the Venezuelan national anthem “as part of their protest for asylum and freedom.”

“I ask any lawyers, please help them, all those people who are suffering violation of human rights,” she said.

She also posted what she said was a message from one of the detainees. “I am here in the protest, everybody standing together yesterday. IDC bring in the police to lock we in cell (but) we stand together. We want our freedom. We will stand together and die together for our freedom cause it is not right what they’re doing to us in here,” the message read.

This week the detained Venezuelans engaged in a hunger strike, the third protest by the group in recent weeks. In the first protest, the inmates were recorded cutting themselves in what they called a “blood strike” against, what they considered to be, their lengthy stay at the IDC. They were claiming that they were kept there beyond the time stipulated by courts and wanted to be deported or freed, having served their time. They added that they were being transferred from the centre to the Maximum Security Prison. This protest took place last month and was made public earlier this month.

In the second protest last week, the detainees set fire to their beds and slept on mattresses on the ground seeking similar redress. On Tuesday video recordings and photographs were leaked showing the men sleeping on their mattresses on the floor of the IDC.

Three calls to the cellphone of National Security Minister Edmund Dillon yesterday went to voicemail.

In April, 82 detained Venezuelans were repatriated via the Venezuelan Embassy – a move that was criticised by the United Nations as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees said at least 12 had applied for political asylum. The National Security Ministry in a statement said none of the Venezuelans were coerced or compelled to leave, and Venezuelan ambassador to TT Coromoto Godoy Calderon told Newsday this week her government was helping them return to their families.