The Daily Journal — The Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP) reported that 26 incarcerated individuals died while under the direct custody of the Venezuelan state between April and June 2026. The organization released the figures after authorities confirmed the death of a female inmate in Miranda state, which the OVP attributed to inadequate medical care in judicial detention facilities.
In an institutional report published on its X account, the nongovernmental organization stated: “The number of people deprived of liberty who died while under the custody of the Venezuelan state between April and June 2026 has risen to 26.”
The most recent case involved Fabiana Desirée Páez Fernández, who was serving time at the La Crisálida Women’s Processing Center in Los Teques. Regarding the cause of death, the OVP stated: “Once again, the lack of medical care in Venezuela’s prison system has claimed the life of a person deprived of liberty. The OVP learned that Fabiana Páez suffered from respiratory failure and other health conditions that did not receive comprehensive medical attention.”
Increase in deaths during june
OVP records show that Páez Fernández’s death forms part of a broader pattern of fatalities documented this month.
The organization explained that “this month also brought reports of the deaths of Yosevet de Jesús Lozada at Rodeo III and Alberto Rafael Solarte Cabrera at the Dr. Francisco Delgado Detention Center, formerly El Marite Prison, in Zulia state.”
The inmate’s death marks a troubling milestone for the women’s prison in Miranda state, as it represents the first recorded fatality since authorities restructured the facility.
“With Fabiana’s death, we documented the first death of a female inmate at La Crisálida prison since its creation in 2018,” the report noted. It added that “this penitentiary center formerly housed the Los Teques Judicial Detention Center, which previously held a male prison population.”
Overcrowding and detention conditions
The OVP’s technical assessment links the mortality rate to deteriorating living conditions and overcrowding inside detention facilities.
In the case of La Crisálida—which houses an estimated population of approximately 320 women—the organization described internal conditions as follows:
“The OVP has also documented inadequate detention conditions at this prison, where political prisoners and common-law inmates share the same facilities. Authorities provided only one container of water for personal hygiene and washing clothes. In addition, cells became overcrowded with women detained after the July 2024 presidential elections.”
In light of these findings, the observatory issued a formal request to the Ministry of Popular Power for the Penitentiary Service:
“We demand urgent specialized medical care for female inmates to prevent another death under the regime’s custody.”
The organization warned that the prison system’s healthcare crisis reflects a structural trend that previous annual reports had already identified.
As a point of comparison, the OVP recalled figures from its latest completed reporting period:
“According to our 2025 annual report, 181 incarcerated individuals died while under custody. Of that total, at least 151 people (95%) died without receiving the healthcare they needed, including one woman at the National Institute for Female Orientation (INOF).”
