In a move drawing global concern, a Venezuelan court has imposed a 30-year prison sentence—the country’s harshest penalty—on Marggie Orozco, a 65-year-old physician, for allegedly sending a critical voice note about the government of President Nicolás Maduro via WhatsApp.
Orozco was convicted on charges of treason, incitement to hatred, and conspiracy after local community figures flagged her message to authorities. The contents of the audio and its intended recipient have not been disclosed, leaving key details of the case shrouded in secrecy.
She was detained in August 2024 in the town of San Juan de Colón, amid sweeping unrest that followed Maduro’s controversial re-election. The vote, widely condemned by opposition leaders and foreign governments as fraudulent, ignited mass demonstrations across the country. More than 2,400 people were arrested in the crackdown that followed; the majority have since been released.
Maduro, who dismissed dissent as “fascist,” publicly encouraged loyalists to identify and report government critics. Rights advocates say this rhetoric has fueled a wave of politically motivated detentions under the guise of national security.
According to JEP, a Venezuelan human rights organization, Orozco suffered two heart attacks during her time in state custody—raising further alarm about the conditions of her detention and the broader treatment of elderly political detainees.
Foro Penal, a legal aid NGO, reports that Venezuela currently holds approximately 882 individuals deemed “political prisoners,” many of whom face extended pretrial detention, opaque judicial processes, and deteriorating health behind bars.
Orozco’s case highlights the deepening erosion of civil liberties in Venezuela, where private expression—particularly in digital spaces—has become a new front in the government’s campaign against dissent.
