Venezuelan Prisoners Learn of Maduro's Fall a Week Later

The fall of the Maduro administration was a televised event, broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide. Footage showed the former leader entering a tribunal in New York while handcuffed. Simultaneously, reports confirmed that he had declared himself a prisoner of war. The political landscape shifted rapidly, with Delcy Rodríguez stepping in as acting president to manage the transition.

Despite these visible and documented events, the reality inside Venezuelan prisons was vastly different. The prison system operates under strict isolation protocols, effectively cutting off inmates from external news. For these individuals, the political structure of the nation remained frozen in time. They continued to operate under the assumption that the status quo remained intact, unaware that the leadership they knew had been detained abroad.

The mechanism of isolation in Venezuelan detention centers is rigorous. Inmates are kept in calabozos (dungeons) and cells that prevent the flow of information. Without access to television, radio, or unrestricted communication, the prisoners' understanding of the outside world is limited to what they are told. Consequently, the news of the regime's collapse did not penetrate these walls.

It was not until the scheduled weekly visits that the truth was revealed. Family members, who had watched the events unfold on the news, brought the information into the prison facilities. The contrast between the global reality and the prisoners' perception was stark. While the world moved on to a new political era, thousands of detainees were just beginning to process the end of an era.

As the news broke, efforts were made to maintain stability within Caracas. Reports indicated that Diosdado Cabello was active on the streets, patrolling to prevent potential disturbances or riots. This measure was likely taken to ensure a controlled transition of power and to manage public reaction to the detention of the nation's leader.

However, this security presence did not extend to the information flow within prisons. The isolation remained absolute for those detained under the regime. The delay in receiving the news serves as a testament to the effectiveness of the information control measures employed by the previous administration. For the prisoners, the fall of the government was not a moment of global celebration, but a delayed realization delivered by family members through prison bars.