"At El Helicoide, guards reportedly hang political prisoners by their limbs and force them to plunge their face into bags of feces. Venezuela has quite a few places like it: Locking up critics was a key feature of President Nicolás Maduro's governing style. His regime jailed thousands of them-opposition leaders, journalists, activists, foreign nationals, as well as everyday Venezuelans-typically on charges such as "betrayal of the homeland" and "rebellion," and usually without granting them a trial."
"Some Venezuelans have come to see El Helicoide as the defining monument of Maduro's rule. With his pyrotechnic display, which came as the Trump administration was intensifying its rhetoric against Maduro and striking boats off of Venezuela's coast, Maduro seemed to be sending a brazen message:"
On October 1 fireworks from El Helicoide masked a history of alleged brutality inside the Caracas complex. Guards reportedly subjected political prisoners to severe abuses, including hanging detainees by their limbs and forcing faces into bags of feces. Locking up critics became central to Maduro's governing approach, with thousands jailed—opposition leaders, journalists, activists, foreign nationals, and ordinary citizens—often charged with "betrayal of the homeland" or "rebellion" and typically denied trials. The spiraled building, once conceived as a futuristic mall, was repurposed into torture chambers and came to symbolize the regime's repression. Maduro's public displays conveyed a message of continued control even amid growing U.S. pressure; his detention has left questions about the fate of the repressive apparatus under Delcy Rodríguez and the ongoing plight of at least 1,000 reported political prisoners.
Read at The Atlantic
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