Venezuela prison deaths rise to 29 between April and June 2026

The Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons (OVP) reported that 29 people died while in state custody from April to June 2026, raising the death toll after the recent passing of Rafael José Vásquez García. García was held at the Centre for Judicial Processives “26 de Julio” in Guárico and died in June from hypovolemic shock and other health complications that the OVP says were linked to a severe lack of medical care in the prison system.

According to the OVP, six inmates died in June alone across the states of Miranda, Guárico, Mérida, Táchira and Zulia. The organization noted that 181 prisoners died in Venezuelan detention facilities during 2025, a rise of more than 50 % from the previous year. Of the recorded deaths, 158 occurred in prisons and 23 in police lock‑ups, with 151 attributed to inadequate medical attention. The OVP called on authorities to guarantee the right to health and to provide timely medical services for people deprived of liberty.