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    Venezuela crisis: Navy captain's death in custody condemned by opposition

    107651728 navycaptainvenezuela

    's opposition has denounced the death of a navy captain held over an alleged plot to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro and called for an investigation.

    Rafael Acosta, 49, was among six policemen and soldiers arrested on Wednesday.

    They were detained weeks after a failed uprising against Mr Maduro.

    Facing charges of treason and sedition, Mr Acosta appeared in court on Friday, but fainted before proceedings began.

    He was rushed to a military hospital in the capital, Caracas, but died in the early hours of Saturday morning, Venezuela's defence ministry said in a statement.

    “Despite providing him with the appropriate medical attention, he died,” the statement said.

    Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who orchestrated the attempted uprising against Mr Maduro on 30 April, claimed in a video that Mr Acosta was “savagely and brutally tortured”.

    “This isn't the first time in venezuela we have denounced this type of act,” he said.

    Mr Acosta's wife, Waleska Pérez, says the navy corvette captain was barely conscious when he appeared at the military tribunal in a wheelchair, with signs of torture visible on his body.

    “They tortured him so much that they killed him,” Ms Pérez, speaking from , told TV channel EVTV .

    Venezuela's government has said it will investigate Mr Acosta's death, but has not elaborated on the cause or circumstances preceding it.

    His death comes after UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet finished…

    Continue Reading This Article At BBC News

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