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Release and passport restrictions of judge María Lourdes Afi

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-26 17:26 UTC → 2026-09-02 16:23 UTC · added removed

Release and passport restrictions of Venezuelan judge María Lourdes Afiuni Afi

After 16 years of legal proceedings, former Venezuelan judge María Lourdes Afiuni has been granted full release and the definitive closure of her case. The ordeal began in December 2009 after then-President Hugo Chávez ordered her detention for granting bail to businessman Eligio Cedeño. Throughout her tenure in the justice system, Afiuni faced various forms of detention, including house arrest and conditional release. In 2019, she was sentenced to five years for ‘spiritual corruption,’ a charge where the prosecution admitted no financial benefit was involved. Her family and international observers have described her experience as one marked by alleged torture, sexual abuse, and repeated human rights violations. Following the notification of her unconditional release on August 7, 2026, concerns have intensified regarding her health. Medical examinations detected three tumor lesions in different parts of her body, body. She is currently undergoing radiotherapy to treat a lesion in her cerebellum; the treatment causes physical discomfort and she irritation that has reportedly experienced symptoms of hypertension and dizziness. made it difficult for her to speak. Despite her full release, legal freedom, her brother, Nelson Afiuni, has denounced the situation as a ‘farce,’ claiming ‘farce.’ He reports that administrative restrictions an unexplained digital alert within the Saime (Servicio Administrativo de Identificación, Migración y Extranjería) system have placed a digital alert is blocking her travel documents. from obtaining a passport. This administrative restriction prevents her from obtaining a passport traveling to seek urgent medical treatment care abroad. International figures, including U.S. Senator Rick Scott and opposition leader María Corina Machado, have called for the immediate return of her documents to facilitate her care. The case remains a prominent symbol cited by human rights observers regarding the erosion of judicial independence in Venezuela.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-02 16:23 UTC Release and passport restrictions of judge María Lourdes Afi
  2. 2026-08-26 17:26 UTC Release of Venezuelan judge María Lourdes Afiuni
  3. 2026-08-09 20:48 UTC Release of Venezuelan judge María Lourdes Afiuni
  4. 2026-08-08 20:18 UTC Release of Venezuelan judge María Lourdes Afiuni
  5. 2026-08-08 14:21 UTC Release of Venezuelan judge María Lourdes Afiuni

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