GUANARE, Venezuela — Freedom came too late for Edilson Torres.
The former police officer was set to be buried Tuesday in his humble, rural hometown following his death in a Venezuelan prison, where he was held incommunicado since his November detention on what his family said were politically motivated accusations. Hours ahead of the ceremony, his children, neighbors, police officers, friends and dozens others gathered to pay their respects.
Torres, 51, died of a heart attack on Saturday, just as his family awaited the government's promised release of prisoners following the U.S. capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro. His death comes as scores of families like his — who once hesitated to approach advocacy groups — are now coming forward to register their loved ones as ''political prisoners.''
Alfredo Romero, director of the organization Foro Penal, a non-governmental organization that tracks and advocates for Venezuelan prisoners, said the group has received a ''flood of messages'' since last week from families.
''They didn't report it out of fear, and now they're doing it because, in a way, they feel that there is this possibility that their families will be freed,'' Romero said. ''They see it as hope, but more importantly, as an opportunity.''
The head of Venezuela's national assembly said last week that a ''significant number" of Venezuelan and foreigners imprisoned in the country would be released as a gesture to ''seek peace.''
Romero explained that of the roughly 300 families who reached out, about 100 cases so far have been confirmed as politically motivated. Most of those reported over the past few days, he said, once worked for Venezuela's military.
As of Tuesday morning, Foro Penal had confirmed the release of 55 prisoners. While Venezuela's government reported a higher figure of 116, it did not identify them, making it impossible to determine whether those freed were behind bars for political or other reasons.
