A video circulating on social media has stirred global outrage, showcasing the harrowing transformation of a Venezuelan man recently released from prison after an amnesty declared by interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
The footage starkly contrasts two phases of the man's life. Initially, he is seen vibrant and robust, addressing a crowd with a microphone at a political rally supporting María Corina Machado.
Following his release, however, he emerges from incarceration barely able to walk, confused, and failing to recognize his own family.
These images highlight not just a severe physical transformation, but also serve as a damning indictment of a regime that uses brutal methods to suppress dissent by breaking both body and spirit.
On social media platform X, user Manuel Rincón identified the young man as "Oscar Castañeda, a political prisoner under the Chavista dictatorship." According to Rincón, Castañeda was apprehended after June 28th and taken to El Helicoide, Venezuela's most notorious detention center. There, he endured torture and upon his release, "he could neither recognize his family nor walk unaided."
In the initial video, recorded at a public event, Castañeda confidently spoke to the crowd: "My name is Oscar Castañeda and I place my trust in María Corina Machado, and I urge all of you to do the same," he declared, exercising a fundamental right in any free society: the right to political expression.
The subsequent scene is heart-wrenching. Castañeda is surrounded by family members, including young relatives who weep at the sight of him. Among them is his daughter.
With vacant eyes and none of the clarity he exhibited at the rally, Castañeda is supported by a man as he attempts to walk. The stark transition leaves little room for misunderstanding.
Political analyst Horacio Siciliano expressed bluntly, "This is torture. Oscar Castañeda was detained for his dissenting views. Nearly two years in El Helicoide left him unable to walk or recognize his family. Without justice, there can be no forgiveness," he wrote on X.
Siciliano's explanation underscores the gravity of the images: "These are not just two separate moments; they are evidence of what this system does to a person."
He recalled that Castañeda was arrested days after participating in a political event, falsely accused of "conspiracy," and sent to El Helicoide. "This is no accident, no mistake: it is the result of prolonged torture, isolation, and abuse," he asserted.
"They not only destroy the detainee but also their family, their children, their community, the Venezuelan people," Siciliano added, alluding to dictator Maduro, who mockingly danced at rallies while families suffered.
Castañeda's ordeal exemplifies a systematic policy of Chavismo to punish those who dare to think differently.
The images of Oscar Castañeda are not isolated. They are part of a broader narrative of political persecution in Venezuela, where thousands have been detained, prosecuted, disappeared, or forced into exile for ideological reasons over the years.
El Helicoide has become a symbol of this oppressive regime: a place where, according to ongoing allegations, isolation, abuse, and torture are routine practices.
In this context, Delcy Rodríguez announced a general amnesty law for political prisoners, set to be debated in the National Assembly.
The announcement followed the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3 and a series of releases that, depending on conflicting figures from the Chavismo regime and the NGO Foro Penal, have freed between 302 and over 600 detainees.
Rodríguez stated that the amnesty aims to "promote national harmony" and "erase judicial records" of the beneficiaries, though it will exclude common crimes such as homicide or drug trafficking.
During the same event, she assured that El Helicoide would be transformed into a "center for social and sports services," symbolically closing the repressive chapter of its history.
Yet for the victims and their families, such announcements and promises do not erase their experiences.
Following the initiative's revelation, families of political prisoners gathered outside El Helicoide, chanting "Let them all be free" and demanding full freedom for the detainees. Some even chained themselves in a symbolic protest for justice.
Oscar Castañeda's case humanizes these statistics. It illustrates that repression is not an abstract concept: it involves real people, families, and marked bodies. It leaves an unresolved question: how can reconciliation be discussed without first acknowledging, investigating, and addressing what transpired within those walls?
Understanding the Impact of Political Repression in Venezuela
What happened to Oscar Castañeda in El Helicoide?
Oscar Castañeda was detained in El Helicoide, where he was reportedly tortured. Upon his release, he was unable to recognize his family or walk unaided.
What does Delcy Rodríguez's amnesty law entail?
The amnesty law aims to promote national unity by erasing judicial records of political prisoners, though it excludes common crimes like homicide and drug trafficking.
Why is El Helicoide significant in Venezuela?
El Helicoide is notorious for being a center where political prisoners reportedly endure isolation, abuse, and torture, symbolizing the oppressive measures of the Chavista regime.