Maria Machado.
For almost a year Alberto Trentini38 years old, originally from Veneto, humanitarian worker for the NGO Humanity & Inclusionis locked up in a Venezuelan prison. Arrested November 15, 2024 while traveling from Caracas to Guasdualito, he disappeared for weeks before authorities confirmed his detention. Since then, no formal accusation, no trial, no certainty about his health conditions. Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro it presents itself to the world as a republic, but in fact it is a system that has emptied democracy from within. Manipulated elections, subservient justice, censorship and laws that punish those who “hate” the government, that is, those who dare to criticize it. Second Human Rights Watchthe regime employs “systematic repression against opponents and activists,” made up of arbitrary arrests, torture and forced disappearances. The Nobel to Maria Machado fits into this context, it aims to shed light on the abuses of the Maduro regime throughout the world.
Trentini’s story is emblematic: a aid worker transformed into political prisoner. The government of Caracas – which has imprisoned numerous tourists, especially Americans, treating them as bargaining chips with the USA – hides behind ritual formulas – “the rights of the arrested person are respected” – but prevents consular visits and access to lawyers. THE’OAS (Organization of American States) openly speaks of “repressive state architecture”. Italy has protested several times: the Foreign Ministry summoned the Venezuelan embassy in Rome, and a demonstration in the lagoon, with dozens of boats, raised the case from Venice. But diplomacy seems to be moving in a quagmire. There Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called for precautionary measures, recognizing the “seriousness and urgency” of the situation. Meanwhile, in Caracas, the regime’s crusade against non-governmental organizations continues. A new law, theAnti-Solidarity Lawpoint to suspend or dissolve NGOs who receive funds from abroad. For Maduro, solidarity and betrayal coincide. Today’s Venezuela is no longer the homeland of the Bolivarian dream, but an open-air prison. “Freedom” is a banned word, and whoever pronounces it risks disappearing. Alberto Trentini is just one of many. But for us Italians it is also a warning: when one of us is arrested for helping, it’s not just him who is detained — it’s our conscience that remains locked in the cell.
