Venezuelan prison deaths rise to 19 under regime custody

On 5 June 2026, Alberto Rafael Solarte Cabrera died while detained at the Center of Training of the New Man “Doctor Francisco Delgado” in Zulia state, a former prison facility. His death brings the total number of people who have died in Venezuelan custodial institutions since April 2026 to 19, according to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP).

The OVP reports that 95.57 % of these deaths are linked to the lack of timely medical care, citing chronic shortages of medication, delays in hospital transfers and overall health neglect in the prison system. It notes that the UN Mandela Rules and Venezuela’s constitution guarantee the right to health for detainees, and it has called for investigations and urgent measures to address the humanitarian crisis in the country's penitentiaries.