Venezuela empties El Helicoide prison as inmates are transferred amid secrecy

The notorious El Helicoide detention centre in Caracas has been emptied after authorities moved the roughly 70 inmates held there to other prisons across the country. The transfers were carried out without official notification of the prisoners' new locations, prompting anguish among families and criticism from human‑rights organisations such as the Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones. Activist Andreína Baduel of the Comité por la Libertad de los Presos Políticos confirmed the building was "totally empty," while families gathered outside to protest the lack of information.

Venezuelan officials defended the action. Interim president Delcy Rodríguez had announced the closure earlier, and ruling‑party deputy Jorge Arreaza argued the relocations were an inevitable part of the prison’s shutdown. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio also remarked that the "infamous" El Helicoide had been closed. The episode underscores ongoing concerns over the country's penal system and political repression.