• Jesús Armas, pro-democracy activist, Bristol University alumnus and former IEA intern has been detained by the Venezuelan Government. 


• Tom Clougherty, Executive Director at the IEA, has written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy requesting the British Government make representations to Venezuela for his immediate release.


• The authoritarian Maduro regime has refused to recognize the result of the July elections and has arbitrarily detained more than 2,000 opposition figures including Jesús Armas.

Jesús Armas, a former intern of the Institute of Economic Affairs and graduate of the University of Bristol, has been arbitrarily detained by the Venezuelan Government. 

Jesús, a human rights activist and social leader who spoke out for freedom and democracy, was arbitrarily detained on December 10, 2024, at 9:19 PM Caracas time. Six masked agents forcibly took him in an unmarked silver Toyota Fortuner SUV. 

It is believed that Jesús is being held at El Helicoide, a well-known torture center in Caracas, under the custody of SEBIN, Venezuela’s political police. However, the Venezuelan authorities have failed to confirm his whereabouts. His status remains that of enforced disappearance. 

Jesús played an important role in the opposition campaign during the July 28 presidential elections, in which Nicolás Maduro was defeated. Maduro has refused to recognise the result and launched a brutal crackdown on opposition figures. Jesús’ case is one of over 2,000 arbitrary detentions recorded since the election. Many have faced torture or worse. 

In August, Jesús Armas wrote an article for the National Post explaining why he was in hiding. The article said: 

“The democratic world’s solidarity is essential to reclaiming Venezuela’s freedom. The international community must condemn Maduro’s actions, provide humanitarian support, monitor the situation, and protect opposition activists. The fight for freedom and democracy belongs to all of us, and global support can be a powerful tool for Venezuelans in their quest for justice and liberty.” 

Tom Clougherty, Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, has written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The letter said: 

Jesús Armas “saw the United Kingdom as a beacon of liberty in the world. I hope you will agree that, as a principled advocate of democracy and freedom on the world stage, the British government should make its views on this matter clear to the Maduro regime.” 

Read the full letter here. 

The Rt Hon Steve Baker FRSA, former Minister of State for Northern Ireland, said:

“Venezuela has been tipping into tyranny. Jesús went to Venezuela to help ensure a free and fair election, and to help improve the lives of millions of people by campaigning for human rights. It is particularly atrocious that he has been abducted by state sponsored terrorists. It’s time for the international community to unite and tell Venezuela you must have free and fair elections, you must uphold human rights and just processes, and that abducting political activists has no place in our world.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• When Jesús first went into hiding, he wrote an article for the National Post. 


• The full letter from Tom Clougherty to the Foreign Secretary can be read here. 


• The Rt Hon Steve Baker FRSA has made a video calling for the international community to demand Jesús’ release. The video can be found here. 


• Emma Revell, former IEA Head of Public Affairs, wrote a thread on X about Jesus as an intern at the Institute of Economic Affairs. The thread can be read here. 


• Whilst an intern at the IEA, Jesús appeared in an IEA Podcast entitled “Yesteryear’s Utopia: Socialism, Venezuela and the Western Left”.