On August 6, 2024, Venezuelan agents forced their way into Maria Oropesa’s home while she documented her final moments of freedom through an Instagram live stream.
“They are arbitrarily entering my house. There is no search warrant. They are breaking down the door… I am asking for help from anyone who can,” reported the 30-year-old lawyer and activist as she faced the encroaching authorities.
Oropesa is among the over 800 political prisoners still detained in Venezuela, despite the government’s promises made by Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and others calling for the release of prisoners in hopes of restoring peace following the U.S. military operation that captured dictator Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
“All she did was work on a campaign to win the election…that’s all she did,” remarked Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in a recent interview.
“Because of that, they put her in jail, and I can’t imagine the bad things that happened to her there.”
Scott, who met Oropesa prior to her arrest, has consistently highlighted the plight of Venezuelan political prisoners, seeking to personalize the statistics frequently mentioned since Maduro was ousted.
On Wednesday, Delcy Rodriguez claimed that the government had released 212 detainees and indicated that more would follow soon.
However, Venezuela’s main prisoners’ rights organization, Foro Penal, only confirmed that 72 individuals were released the previous week.
“No one knows what’s really happening. It seems kind of random who gets released,” stated Isabella Patriota, a member of a nonprofit group closely monitoring Oropesa’s situation.
Patriota, who had formed a friendship with Oropesa during a conference in Uruguay, mentioned that the activist had been involved with opposition leader María Colina Machado for a decade and had recently coordinated the Vente Venezuela party’s efforts during a presidential campaign.
“After the election, she indicated that the results were rigged,” Patriota noted.
As critiques of the Maduro administration’s tactics surfaced following the July 28, 2024 election, a “knock-knock operation” was initiated to detain individuals involved with protests and opposition movements.
“The day before her arrest, she posted a video denouncing that operation,” added Patriota.
Ana Rizzo, a Venezuelan-Canadian attorney and friend of Oropesa, shared her awareness that Oropesa was a target of the regime.
“She was in hiding, moving around locations,” Rizzo explained. “Then intelligence agents found her and took her away. She recorded the whole incident.”
Rizzo recounted feeling horrified as agents hammered on the metal gate separating them from Oropeza until it gave way. The live stream abruptly ended after a few seconds.
“It was devastating. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening,” said Rizzo.
“There was frustration. A sense of helplessness washed over me—I cared deeply for her but felt I could do nothing.”
For two months following Oropesa’s arrest, her family lacked information about her location. A distressing image shared by Venezuela’s Counterintelligence Directorate depicted a young activist bound with zip ties.
Later, Oropesa’s mother was informed that she was being held at El Helicoido, a notorious facility in Caracas described as a “torture chamber.” This was noted days after the operation to capture Maduro.
The Venezuelan government has yet to issue an official closure order for the spiral-shaped prison, which was originally meant to be a shopping center.
Senator Scott expressed his frustration over the apparent delays in releasing political prisoners and suggested that the current government might soon face consequences.
“I want all of them released—immediately,” Scott declared.
“I just hope Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio feel the same.”
Scott indicated confidence that the Trump administration would withdraw financial support unless the pace of prisoner releases escalated.
“They are operating on limited resources. If nothing changes, Delcy Rodriguez might not even have the funds to maintain her government,” he stated.
Scott noted that he recently spoke with Machado, who is scheduled to meet President Trump soon, and he knows she will prioritize discussions on political prisoners during their lunch.
“Those who risked everything for Edmundo González’s campaign, like Oropeza, deserve recognition,” Scott remarked. “I have deep admiration for their courage.”
“I won’t stop advocating for this.”
Scott’s commitment mirrors Oropesa’s own dedication in her fight for a liberated Venezuela.
“I once asked her, ‘Why don’t you just move to America and start anew?'” Patriota shared.
“And her response was, ‘If everyone leaves, who will stand up for Venezuela?'”
