Venezuela: Calls for judicial reform and autonomy grow

Former Zulia Governor Francisco Arias Cárdenas has called for the establishment of an autonomous judiciary in Venezuela. His comments follow reports of alleged torture involving Bishop Jylman Red Jurado Farfán during a five-year detention. Arias Cárdenas criticized the use of the justice system to imprison individuals he considers innocent and condemned deaths occurring while persons are in state custody, citing the 2019 case of Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo.

In a related development regarding judicial restructuring, María Verdeal, Vice President of the Democratic Socialist Movement (MAS), expressed support for the total revision of the Venezuelan Judicial Power. Verdeal emphasized the need for transparency and rigorous criteria in the selection process for new judicial candidates. She advocated for the involvement of civil society, political parties, and law school deans in the nomination committee to ensure that all judicial structures, including the Public Ministry, undergo a competitive and transformative process.