A Venezuelan court has handed down a staggering 30-year prison sentence to a doctor for voicing criticism of Nicolás Maduro’s government through a WhatsApp audio message. This troubling news comes from the human rights organization JEP, reported by the AFP news agency.
Dr. Marggie Orozco, 65, received the maximum sentence for charges including “treason, incitement to hatred, and conspiracy.” She was reported to authorities for expressing sentiments that were deemed insufficiently loyal to the Maduro administration. The specifics of her message, as well as the identity of its intended recipient, have not been disclosed.
### Arrested Amidst Unrest
Orozco was apprehended in August of last year in San Juan de Colón, a town in western Venezuela. Her arrest occurred during a turbulent period marked by widespread unrest following Maduro’s re-election—a victory that generated accusations of electoral fraud from both the opposition and numerous nations around the globe. The aftermath of these protests saw approximately 2,400 individuals arrested, although most were released within a few months.
In the wake of the unrest, Maduro urged his supporters to report what he termed “fascists,” a label frequently used against opposition members. According to human rights advocates, Orozco has suffered two heart attacks during her time in detention. The organization Foro Penal estimates that there are currently about 882 “political prisoners” in Venezuela’s jails, illustrating the dire state of political dissent under the Maduro regime.
