Commune Activist Angel Prado to be Investigated by Regional Police

Prado has been summoned to appear at a local police office on January 9.

Angel Prado files an appeal with the Supreme Court in Caracas.

Bogota, January 8, 2018 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Lara state commune activist Angel Prado was informed Saturday that a criminal investigation against him had been opened by regional police.

The El Maizal Commune where Prado is a leading activist tweeted a photo of a police summons for him over the weekend, accusing authorities of violating Prado’s political rights and attempting to suppress his political work. 

Tweet reads: We greet the [new] year with this summons from Lara police. Today this notice arrived at Maizal Commune with no explanation, citing Angel Prado to an alleged investigation. They violated his political rights, an offensive is on the way to quash his revolutionary work. 

The subpoena provided no details in relation to the nature of the police investigation but informed Prado that he should attend a local police station on January 9 for further information. 

Prado is an elected delegate to the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) of Venezuela, and also attempted to stand as mayoral candidate for his municipality of Simon Planas in this past December’s local elections. However, his candidacy was blocked by the ANC, which refused to let the commune activist’s mayoral bid go ahead, in spite of mass support among his community. 

Despite the ANC decision, Prado and his followers defied the ban on his candidacy and called on the local community to vote for the government-aligned Homeland for All (PPT) party ticket, that had initially agreed to field his candidacy. Though the PPT won the elections with 57.92% of the vote, electoral authorities have refused to recognise Prado’s victory, instead awarding his votes to his opponent, Jean Ortiz. 

The runner-up candidate for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Ortiz, was sworn in on December 12, though the ceremony provoked mass protests. Prado’s supporters continue to demonstrate outside Ortiz’s office, while the ANC delegate and El Maizal commune have filed an appeal with the Supreme Court on December 20, demanding that the body recognise him as mayor.