Amidst ongoing political instability in venezuela,the families of government critics are increasingly facing repercussions,with two young sisters now detained by state security forces. Aranza de los Ángeles Hernández Castillo, 19, was taken into custody Friday, just two days after the arrest of her 16-year-old sister, Samantha Hernández, as reported by human rights organization Un Mundo Sin Mordaza. The detentions appear linked to the exile of their brother, First Lieutenant Christian Hernández Castillo, and the ongoing disappearance of their uncle, Henry Castillo, highlighting a disturbing pattern of collective punishment condemned by activists as reminiscent of ancient authoritarian tactics.
Venezuelan human rights organization Un Mundo Sin Mordaza reported Friday the arbitrary detention of Aranza de los Ángeles Hernández Castillo, 19, allegedly by Venezuelan state security forces.
The arrest comes just two days after her younger sister, Samantha Hernández, 16, was detained by officials from the Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar (Dgcim), or General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence.
According to the NGO, both young women are sisters of First Lieutenant Christian Hernández Castillo, who is in exile after being accused of treason by the Nicolás Maduro government.
They are also the nieces of Henry Castillo, who has been missing since January 24, a case documented by the Casla Institute and presented to international bodies such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Un Mundo Sin Mordaza voiced serious concerns over what it described as a systematic practice of family persecution.
“These detentions are part of a growing pattern of persecution against the families of political persecutees, a practice known as Sippenhaft, historically used by authoritarian regimes to punish the innocent in order to intimidate, pressure, or silence others,” the organization stated.
The organization demanded “the immediate release of Aranza and Samantha Hernández, as well as full guarantees for their safety,” stating that “the persecution of families is a crime, not a method of control.”
They called for an immediate end to these practices and full respect for human rights.
Venezuela Faces Arbitrary Detentions: Pattern of State Violence Looms
Activist Tamara Suju, director of the Casla Institute, also denounced the events, characterizing them as part of a “systematic pattern of kidnapping and prosecuting family members.” She likened the practice to methods used by the Nazi regime.
“This includes grandparents, parents, children, nephews… and it is multiplying in Venezuela,” she warned.
Human rights organizations have alerted authorities about the use of arbitrary detentions as a tool of political pressure in Venezuela against dissidents and their relatives. The case highlights a concerning trend of targeting family members of government critics.
The international community has been called upon to take a position on these events, which could constitute crimes against humanity.
