22 years old
José Ángel Barreno Cordones was 22 years old when he was arrested on May 10, 2020. He is a lieutenant in the Venezuelan Army who was deprived of his liberty for his alleged participation in the so-called “Operación Gedeón” (Operation Gideon). According to his mother, Massiel Cordones, at the time of his arrest José Ángel was not wearing a military uniform or carrying weapons, and he was accused of attempting to execute a purported uprising against the Venezuelan government. Following his arrest, he remained disappeared for several months, causing deep concern among his relatives. He was subsequently held in detention centers such as El Helicoide and El Rodeo I Penitentiary Center, where, according to testimonies transmitted by his mother, he was reportedly subjected to torture, beatings, isolation, and cruel and inhuman treatment. Massiel Cordones has denounced that her son recounted suffering severe abuses during his deprivation of liberty and has demanded answers regarding his conditions of detention and respect for his fundamental rights. Since her son’s arrest, Massiel has led a constant struggle for his freedom and for the release of other Venezuelan political prisoners, publicly denouncing irregularities in the judicial process, the lack of due process, and the conditions of the prisons where detainees are held. For years she has accompanied José Ángel through his ordeal, traveling regularly to visit him and demanding information about his situation. More recently, she has joined other family members of political prisoners in vigils and encampments outside El Rodeo I, demanding justice and freedom for all those detained for political reasons. Years after his arrest, Massiel continues to denounce that her son and other political prisoners remain deprived of liberty in processes she considers unjust, while demanding judicial guarantees, reparation, and accountability for the violations committed.