From Venezuela’s DGCIM cells to El Rodeo: A unionist from Bolívar State detained seven months ago is now held incommunicado
She is the only woman at the table. She is wearing a red flannel shirt, stamped: “Josué Tremaria we are with you.” She is Norialvis Guerra, wife of Tremaria, a union leader from Bolívar State, who has been detained in Caracas for 7 months now.
By Pableysa Ostos/Correspondent lapatilla.com
She reported that he has been traveling to Caracas since the moment he was allowed his first visit, which was 26 days after being detained. “All this time I have been traveling to Caracas. In fact, almost the only person who has come is me, and his mother only once.” Tremaria is the father of three girls, whom he has not seen since July 7th, 2023.
That day he left his house around 7:00 at night heading to the ‘Dalla Costa’ sports field in San Félix, to attend a futsal tournament in which was being played the United Front of Socialist Workers cup (Futseb).
After being there for about 3 hours, he said goodbye to everyone present to go back to his residence, but he never arrived. On the way to his house he was allegedly intercepted by officers from the “Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar” (DGCIM, General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence), who detained him.
“Every Saturday he was allowed a visit, I saw him every Saturday from 8:00 in the morning to 2:00 in the afternoon. And about a month ago, the visit was reduced to just 3 hours: from 12:00 noon to 3:00 in the afternoon. But in all that time, I did visit him. On Mondays she brought him his ‘package, that is, his food, and the whole process that I think that involves, because it is really the first time that I am in a situation like this,” Guerra explained.
But the “system” that she already knew and to which she was “adapted” changed on February 19th when she was notified that her husband had been transferred from the DGCIM headquarters, located on Vargas Street, Boleíta in Caracas, to the El Rodeo Judicial Confinement Center, in Guatire, Miranda State, that is, about 40 kilometers from its previous detention center.
“They notified me on Monday, February 19th, that on February 24th I would have had my first visit in El Rodeo. However, I still haven’t been able to get in contact with him. He has not contacted me, they have not allowed him a call. I don’t know what condition he is in, I can’t say if good or bad, because I have no communication, I have not had any communication with him since February 17th. He had an allowance to call on Monday, which he obviously didn’t make, because he was probably being transferred or maybe not, I don’t know what time the transfer was, but they notified that he was transferred that day,” Tremaria’s wife stated.
She added that the expense has been great, since every weekend she travels to the capital to visit her husband. Expenses that are not only transportation, but also meals, medicines, clothing, among other things.
“We are worried because since October 19th, when the preliminary hearing was held, they sent him to trial, and they still have not given us a date or opened the trial. He himself asked me during the last visit, why? What is happening in Bolívar State? Why isn’t there aresponse as such about his case? And I came to talk to the lawyer and there is no answer,” Guerra stressed.
They ask for a review of the case
For his part, Asdrúbal López, general secretary of Futseb, said that they have requested through all instances to review Tremaria’s case in depth.
“In the accusations that stand against him today, according to his lawyers, according to all those who keep that file, there is no evidence that support keeping him detained. We thought that they could rather begin to retreat from the accusations, but now we see that this transcends to a more serious situation.”
During his statements, López asserted that they continue to support Nicolás Maduro’s government despite the arrest of the president of the union and the lack of responses to admit (employ) workers registered in the union to positions that open in the basic companies (Aluminum, iron, steel and mining government conglomerates).
When asked why they continue to support a government that detained the president of the unions and that does not give answers to their labor demands, López responded: “We truly, firmly express our support for our government for the socialist process that we are undergoing and building, because we understand that our country has been stalked. Our country and its economy have been hit, our country has been assaulted by imperialism and that has led, without a doubt, to affect our society. We are clear and analyzing this situation.”
The socialist union leader continues his reflection: “That is why we continue, truly, waiting patiently for our country to turn its direction, as at this moment it is beginning to happen because all that we are critical about of is the closure of the response by of the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana (CVG) and by our National Government, about the ‘agenda del motor número 10’ (agenda of engine number 10 plan), which is the economic agenda of the construction sector.”
