WILLEMSTAD — The recent release of Yaacob Harary, a 72-year-old Argentine-Israeli who spent more than 490 days in Venezuela’s notorious El Rodeo I prison, has put a spotlight back on the brutal conditions faced by political prisoners under the Venezuelan regime and the ongoing human rights crisis in the country.
Harary’s own words paint a chilling picture of life inside the Venezuelan prison system. “Acabo de salir del infierno” — “I just came out of hell” — he said, summing up his incarceration in one of the country’s most feared penitentiaries. During his time at El Rodeo I, Harary witnessed systematic mistreatment, especially of Venezuelan inmates accused of political offenses, according to social media posts and accounts from supporters.
Extreme Conditions and Abuse
Harary’s account includes claims that prisoners were given psychiatric medication as a sedative without medical necessity, a tactic often used in harsh detention environments to control inmates rather than treat healthcare issues. The elderly prisoner also endured 15 months in isolation, separated from contact with family and the outside world, a form of psychological torture that has been widely condemned by human rights organizations.
At one point, Harary’s partner died while he was in detention — a tragedy he was not informed about until after his release. This stark reality highlights how families of political detainees often suffer in silence, deprived of information and basic human contact for prolonged periods.
Rights groups such as the Comité por la Libertad de los Presos Políticos de Venezuela have documented equally dire conditions for other political detainees. Their reports point to overcrowding, prolonged isolation, denial of legal counsel and medical care, and a general lack of transparency in Venezuelan prisons like El Helicoide, Tocuyito, and Tocorón — conditions that they describe as part of a systematic practice of political repression.
Political Prisoners Still Held
While the Venezuelan government claims to have carried out a series of releases — including more than 400 prisoners in a so-called “goodwill gesture” this month in the wake of the U.S. capture of former President Nicolás Maduro — opposition leaders and NGOs maintain that hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars. Many families still lack clear information about the fate or location of their loved ones.
Human rights organizations have long documented Venezuela’s rampant abuse of its prison system to silence dissent. Independent reports and past investigations by groups like Human Rights Watch and the U.S. State Department cited arbitrary detention, torture, and denial of judicial guarantees as part of systematic violations under the regime.
Survivor’s Perspective
Now free and in Tel Aviv, Harary is still processing the trauma he experienced. Only after his release was he able to learn the full truth about what happened to his partner and the extreme conditions he endured. His story serves as a stark reminder that the crisis of political imprisonment in Venezuela is not a thing of the past — it is a living reality for many families, and one that continues to shape the nation’s human rights landscape.
“We cannot turn the page as long as there are political prisoners,” advocates have said, emphasizing that each individual case represents a human life caught in a broader struggle for justice and democratic rights.
As international attention remains focused on Venezuela’s political future, the experiences of Harary and countless others continue to underscore the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and systemic reform in the Venezuelan justice and prison systems.