Students at the Central University of Venezuela protested in Caracas on May 18, 2026, following the death of Carmen Teresa Navas [1].
The demonstrations highlight ongoing anger toward the Venezuelan government regarding the treatment and death of political prisoners in state custody.
Navas died only days after learning that her son, Víctor Quero Navas, had died while being held by the state [2]. Víctor Quero Navas had died in custody nine months prior to his mother receiving the news [3].
A few dozen demonstrators gathered primarily on the Central University of Venezuela campus to renew calls for accountability [3]. The group sought to draw attention to the delayed notification of the son's death, and the subsequent toll it took on his mother.
"We are here to demand justice for Víctor and his mother," María González, a student at UCV, said [2].
Other protesters focused on the broader pattern of deaths within the prison system. "The government must answer for the deaths of my friends," José Pérez, a protester, said [3].
The event served as a flashpoint for students who continue to monitor the status of political detainees in the country. The protesters demanded a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Víctor Quero Navas, and the government's failure to notify his family in a timely manner.
“"We are here to demand justice for Víctor and his mother,"”
This protest underscores the volatile relationship between the Venezuelan state and its academic institutions, particularly the Central University of Venezuela. The case of the Navas family illustrates a perceived pattern of state negligence and the use of psychological distress through delayed notifications of death, which continues to fuel civil unrest and demands for human rights reforms.
