Edward Artuto Muñoz died at the Coro Penitentiary Community, located in the state of Falcón, 530 kilometers west of Caracas. This prison faces a serious situation characterized by overcrowding, lack of essential services, and insufficient medical assistance.
In a statement, it was explained that Muñoz died due to health reasons while detained in a prison where overcrowding reached critical levels. More than 1,700 individuals are incarcerated in a space designed to accommodate only 800, representing an operation over 212% of installed capacity, with an overcrowding index exceeding 112%.
According to the OVP, overcrowding is aggravated by issues related to food, difficulties in accessing potable water, and failures in health services. This combination of factors particularly harms inmates who have health problems and require immediate treatment.
The OVP emphasizes that deprivation of liberty does not imply the loss of rights to health or life. For this reason, authorities have the responsibility to ensure dignified detention conditions, including adequate food, potable water, and medical care.
Additionally, the OVP questioned why the country's Public Prosecutor's Office is not taking measures to safeguard the right to life of imprisoned people. The organization requested that the Prosecutor's Office exercise its constitutional power and implement urgent actions to protect the life and integrity of detainees throughout the national territory.
Data from the Venezuelan Prison Observatory indicates that between April and July 2026, 49 detainees died in Venezuelan prisons and cells, with the majority of these deaths attributed to health problems resulting from the absence of medical care.