Born in 1977
Darwin Antonio Solís Benítez is a farmer and former first sergeant of the Venezuelan Army reserve. On August 6, 2017, following the assault on Fort Paramacay in Naguanagua, Carabobo state, he was arbitrarily detained by officials from the National Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Command (CONAS) and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM). Authorities accused him of participating in the attack and charged him with treason, military rebellion, and theft of military weapons. Following his detention, he was held at the DGCIM headquarters in Boleíta, where he has consistently reported being subjected to severe torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, including repeated beatings, asphyxiation, and coercive acts forcing him to sign documents without allowing him to read their contents. His wife, Silvia Marisol Benítez, has supported the case since the beginning of his detention, publicly denouncing the alleged torture, the conditions of imprisonment, and the repeated judicial delays that have prolonged his deprivation of liberty. He was subsequently transferred to the National Center for Military Detainees (CENAPROMIL) in Ramo Verde prison, where he remained for more than four years, before being transferred to the Rodeo II penitentiary center and later to the “Libertador” New Man Training Center in Carabobo state. Throughout these years, Silvia has continued to demand his freedom and respect for his judicial guarantees, while his criminal trial has been characterized by prolonged pre-trial detention and repeated judicial delays, with hearings suspended and a trial restarted multiple times over several years.