Caracas, Venezuela — Venezuelans have been closely following the case of Carmen Navas, an 82-year-old woman who spent a year and a half searching for her son, Victor Hugo Quero Navas, who was imprisoned by security forces in January 2025.
Unable to find his son at first, the octogenarian searched for him in several detention centers, morgues and hospitals. This struggle touched many people because of her tenacity and strength despite the pain she had to endure.
After much pressure and the incident went viral on social media, the government led by Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that terrorism accused Víctor Quero Navas had died in state custody and ordered an investigation to find out what happened.
Read more: Another political prisoner dies in Venezuelan custody
In a statement, they noted that the detainee “did not provide any personal information, and the family did not come forward to request an official visit.”
After his death, he explained that the funeral was officially held on July 30, 2025 due to the ‘absence of the family.’
The news has shaken Venezuelans and opposition lawmakers who have been protesting the government to release 429 political prisoners imprisoned in Venezuela.
In a heartbreaking turn of events just nine days after receiving news of her son’s fate, Carmen Navas died on May 17 after a harrowing search.
The incident has caused widespread outrage in the country as it takes responsibility for the death of Quero Navas and the suffering inflicted on the Venezuelan mother.
Opposition political leaders such as Maria Corina Machado have called for justice. The country coordinator for Vente Venezuela wrote on his X account: “It was not just a mother who died, but a woman who turned pain into courage and despair into a cry for justice.”
“Her voice today has become the voice of thousands of Venezuelan mothers seeking their children missing, imprisoned, persecuted and murdered by the criminal regime,” she added.
The Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (CLIPPVE) also posted a message to
“Her story was marked by the unwavering love of a mother who never stopped seeking truth and justice for her son, Victor Hugo Quero Navas, who died in state custody.”
American politicians are also weighing this issue. Florida Senator Rick Scott said, “Carmen is the face of the brutality of the Venezuelan dictatorship. They kidnapped her son, concealed his death for months, and forced his mother to search the prison cells even though she already knew he was dead.”
He added, “We will not rest until they face the justice they deserve and all political prisoners are released.”
What did the Venezuelan government say?
Amid mounting pressure over the incident, Rodriguez’s government issued a statement following Carmen Navas’ death.
“From the moment the complaint regarding the case of his son, Víctor Hugo Quero, was received, the President ordered a thorough investigation to determine what happened and requested the cooperation of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Prosecutor’s Office,” the document reads.
They assured that once the investigation is complete, they will inform the country about what happened in connection with the death of this political prisoner.
This statement was questioned by journalist Maryorin Méndez, who accompanied Carmen Navas on her search efforts for several months. “The facts: From the moment she (Carmen) found out about it, she ordered an investigation,” Méndez wrote on social media.
In Venezuela, five mothers have died before seeing their loved ones released or within days of their release, according to figures from the Venezuelan Prison Observatory.
“Freedom that comes after the death of a loved one is not justice. The Venezuelan Prison Observatory calls on the Venezuelan regime to provide full health coverage and support to those who are currently experiencing this grief in freedom,” wrote X.
For this reason, they demand an end to psychological torture inflicted on political prisoners and their families and a guarantee of complete freedom for all.
Featured image: Carmen Navas is comforted at a mass honoring her late son two days before his death on May 17.
Image credit: Julio Blanca for Latin America Report
