Biagio Pilieri is reported to have been held incommunicado for three days after his arrest

Former deputy Biagio Pilieri has been held incommunicado for three days after being arrested on Thursday at the end of a demonstration called by Venezuela’s main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), in the context of the post-electoral crisis that the country is going through, his party Convergencia announced this Saturday.

“Three days have passed since Pilieri was arrested and transferred to the Helicoide (…) to date, his family and legal representatives have not been able to verify his state of health, nor the reasons that led to his arbitrary arrest.” This was stated by the party coordinated by the opposition leader in a statement.

They demand the release of Biagio Pilieri

Convergencia demanded Pilieri’s release, saying that he is an “upright person, a man committed to democracy, freedom and human rights.”

“He is not with us today, but we demand that he be released because wanting the popular will of Venezuelans to be respected is not a crime,” he added.

Convergencia said that Wladimir Araujo and Rafael Terán, members of the group in the states of Portuguesa and Trujillo, have also been detained “for several weeks.”

Irregularities

Former congresswoman Delsa Solórzano denounced, through the social network X, that Pilieri has not been able to communicate with his family and lawyers since his arrest. In addition, she said that this violates “all the rules of due process.”

“This not only violates all the rules of due process and the right to defense, but adds to the long list of crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela,” he added.

Pilieri was arrested on Wednesday, along with his son Jesús, after participating in a protest against the Supreme Court’s ruling that validated the controversial reelection of Nicolás Maduro in the presidential elections, according to opposition figures in X.

The opposition said the former deputy was captured after two vehicles and three motorcycles allegedly chased him through Caracas.

The Command with Venezuela – campaign team of the PUD candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia – assured that, according to the last location of his phone, Pilieri was arrested and transferred to the headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin), in Caracas, known as Helicoide.

A day after his arrest, the Convergence Party He reported that SEBIN officials raided Pilieri’s residence in the western state of Yaracuy, without providing further details of the police operation.

According to official figures, more than 2,400 people have been arrested since July 29 – some in demonstrations and others in police operations – and 25 have been killed in acts of violence that the government attributes to the opposition, while the opposition blames state security forces.