An NGO denounced the arrest of a Venezuelan who criticized a Chavist singer in the networks

Person arrested in Venezuela after criticizing singer Omar Enrique on his social media, known for his sympathies towards President Nicolás Maduro, denounced this Saturday the Venezuelan NGO Espacio Público.

The arrest of the Venezuelan citizen, identified as José Pérez, was carried out by officials of the Corps of Scientific, Criminal and Criminal Investigations (Cicpc), Espacio Público detailed in a press release.

As stated by the NGO, dedicated to the promotion and defense of freedom of expression, the right to information and social responsibility in the media, Pérez posted a video on the TikTok social network on February 28 in which he questioned “the privileges of singer Omar Enrique’s daughter and her ties to Chavism.”

After the publication, the singer’s wife, María Buitrago, called him to express her discomfort and “threatened him with death”, the information added.

Although Pérez apologized to the family and removed the video, Espacio Público added, officials “detained him without a court order.”

The Cicpc agents – underlines the statement – assured Pérez that “they had to question him and take his statements”.Therefore, he agreed to accompany them and was transferred to the headquarters of this organization in the coastal town of Higuerote, near Caracas.

“A few hours later, the inspector told the family that he had to be transferred urgently to Caracas”, Public space underlined.

After being brought before a judge, he was charged with a crime of “incitement to hatred”, according to the law against hatred, a standard denounced by many organizations defending freedom of expression and the right to freedom. information.

At another hearing, he was also charged with the crime of insult and defamation, the information concluded.

Singer Omar Enrique was the protagonist of a controversy in 2019, when the Colombian government prevented him from entering the country to give a concert at the Barranquilla carnival, “because of his proximity to the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro “.

Days later, Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro said Colombian President Iván Duque was “on par with (Chilean dictator Augusto) Pinochet” for taking the step.

(With information from EFE)

KEEP READING: