US State Department Calls for Probe Into Death of Chavez Confidant in Venezuelan Prison

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is calling for an independent investigation into the cause of the death of former army general Raul Baduel in a Venezuelan prison this week, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday.
Sputnik
"The recent death of Venezuelan political prisoner Raul Baduel reminds the world of the deplorable and dangerous conditions Venezuelan political prisoners face in the Maduro regime's custody," Price said during a press briefing. "We call for an independent examination to confirm the true cause of the death."
Baduel, who once saved former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez from a coup, reportedly died in a Venezuelan prison on Tuesday due to a cardiac failure caused by COVID-19.
Baduel served as Venezuela’s defense minister under Chavez. Baduel helped Chavez return to power after a failed coup attempt in 2002. However, Baduel became an opposition leader in 2007 before his eventual arrest two years later and conviction in a corruption case.
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