The U.S. State Department on Thursday called for an independent examination to determine the true cause of death of Former Venezuelan Defense Minister and retired general Raul Baduel, considered a political prisoner by the opposition.
The attorney general on Tuesday said Baduel had died after contracting the coronavirus.
"The recent death of Venezuelan political prisoner Raul Baduel reminds the world of the deplorable and dangerous conditions Venezuelan political prisoners face in the Maduro regime's custody," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, adding that Washington calls for an immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis and Christopher Gallagher; Writing by Daphne Psaledakis)
