Venezuelan Authorities Confirm Death of Detainee Víctor Hugo Quero Navas in Custody

Venezuelan authorities this week admitted that Víctor Hugo Quero Navas died on July 25, 2025, while in state custody. The 51-year-old karate teacher and street vendor, known as "the Russian" because of his blond hair and light eyes, had been arrested in January 2025 by plainclothes Venezuelan military intelligence agents.

He was accused of treason, conspiracy and terrorism, charges commonly leveled against perceived political dissidents because of his past service in the Venezuelan military.

Quero Navas was sent to El Rodeo I prison outside Caracas. One month after his arrest he was taken to the prison infirmary after vomiting blood. Fellow inmates never saw him again. In October 2025 the regime told his mother, Carmen Navas, that he was still being held at El Rodeo I.

She visited the prison on at least a dozen occasions after learning his location. During one visit intelligence agents questioned her for over six hours. " according to journalist Víctor Amaya. Prison officials claimed Quero Navas had not listed any relatives and that no family members had formally requested a visit.

They buried his body in a marked grave. The official cause of death was listed as respiratory failure by the Venezuela prison ministry. Investigators are planning to exhume Quero Navas's body to confirm the cause of death.

Martha Tineo, director of the Venezuela-based human rights organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, said the investigation cannot remain under the control of those responsible for the victim's custody. "Especially when there are elements that undermine the transparency and credibility of the official account," Tineo added.

Human rights groups estimate that 27 political prisoners have died in state custody over the past decade.

Carmen Navas had spent a year going from prison to prison looking for her son after his arrest. She filed petitions and sought proof that he was still alive, but prison officials stonewalled her. The regime led by Delcy Rodríguez finally acknowledged the death 10 months after it occurred.

Delcy Rodríguez leads the Venezuelan regime and had promised amnesty. Despite those promises, 454 political prisoners remain behind bars according to Foro Penal, a human rights watchdog group. S.

Embassy in Venezuela posted on X about meetings on the business climate for energy-sector investment minutes after the regime acknowledged Víctor's death. com reported the sequence of events and statements from officials and activists.