Venezuela: 7,414 people detained in forensic police calabozos, many beyond legal limits

There are 7,414 people detained in the "calabozos", the premises for the temporary custody of the Venezuelan scientific police Cicpc, transformed according to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (Ovp) into a real "network of parallel prisons".

58% of prisoners have been imprisoned for over a year, when, according to the law, they could not remain there for more than 48 hours, and 33.5% for more than two years. According to the OVP, 6,518 people are awaiting trial and just 896 have a final sentence: 87.9% have therefore not been convicted. The detainees also include 914 women, 17 minors and 181 people over 65.

The organization also denounces inadequate conditions, with lack of ventilation, drinking water and medical care, and accuses some agents of extorting up to 200 dollars in exchange for "benefits" such as access to showers, toilets or the possibility of going outside for fresh air and sunlight.