The United States on Sunday slammed the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following confirmation of the death in prison of Alfredo Díaz, a former opposition governor who was being prosecuted on charges of 'terrorism' and 'incitement to hatred'. The U.S. State Department issued a stern statement through the X account of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. 'He is another victim of the dictatorship,' stated López. The Venezuelan opposition condemned the death and demanded an international investigation. 'What happened to my husband, they killed him?' asked the former governor's wife, Leynys Malavé, on social media. Amnesty International Americas had previously classified Díaz's case as an 'arbitrary detention due to his political profile' and denounced that he was subjected to 'forced disappearance during the first four days of his detention'. The opposition party Voluntad Popular (VP) stated that Díaz died from a 'massive heart attack' in the penitentiary center, and described the fact as a 'direct consequence of a system that persecutes, imprisons, and destroys lives to stay in power'. Venezuelan opposition leaders, including Leopoldo López, also held the regime directly responsible for the death. 'He had been requesting medical attention for months and it was denied,' they stated. 'He died in the torture center El Helicoide'.
