Venezuela's Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, confirmed on Sunday the death of policeman Edison Jose Torres Fernandez, 52, who had been detained since last December, and said he died after suffering "a stroke followed by cardiac arrest."

According to an official statement, Torres Fernandez died on Saturday "while He was receiving medical attention at the Dr. Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas, where, the prosecutor stated, he was "immediately transferred" after a "sudden health deterioration." The police officer was admitted "with vital signs" and was "promptly attended to by medical personnel," but "suffered a stroke followed by cardiac arrest, which caused his death," the head of the Public Ministry (Prosecutor's Office) stated. Torres Fernandez had been "detained since December 11, 2025, under the order of the Second Control Court with jurisdiction over Terrorism in the Metropolitan Area of ??Caracas," for his alleged involvement in "criminal activities detected by state security agencies," he added. However, NGOs that denounced his death in state custody asserted that the police officer was detained for "sharing critical messages" against Chavismo. "Unofficially, he was charged with treason." “Death to the homeland and criminal association,” the NGO Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (CLIPP) stated early Sunday morning. Vente Venezuela, the party of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, expressed solidarity with the family and assured that his death “will not go unpunished,” stating that justice “will reach each and every one of those responsible for this horror.” The police officer’s death occurred while relatives of hundreds of political prisoners await releases after authorities announced on Thursday the release of a “significant number of people.” However, non-governmental organizations and the majority opposition denounce that the process has progressed at a snail’s pace, and as of midday, the NGO Foro Penal had only reported 17 releases.