The Mysterious Death of Fernando Albán, Venezuelan Opposition Leader

Venezuelan opposition leader and municipal lawmaker Fernando Albán died on October 8 in an alleged suicide, following his imprisonment in the previous week. His cause of death has been questioned internationally, leading the United Nations to conduct a probe into whether he was murdered by the Venezuelan government.

Fernando Albán was a city council member in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, who was very involved in the Primero Justicia (First Justice) opposition party. He was arrested on October 5 upon his return to Venezuela from the United Nations General Assembly, where he joined the Primero Justicia Party in their meetings with foreign diplomats. His arrest was due to his alleged involvement in an assassination attempt of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in August. He died on October 8 after falling from the tenth floor of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), where he was being held in custody.

As soon as the Venezuelan government announced Albán’s suicide and death, members of the opposition began to challenge the validity of their claims. Julio Borges, the co-founder of Primero Justicia and an exile in Colombia, stated that the Venezuelan government was falsifying information. He said, “There’s no doubt this is an assassination. The only thing left in this country is torture, violence and destruction.”

The claim that Albán committed suicide is one that has been internationally denounced. Both the United Nations and the European Union have called for investigations into the Venezuelan government’s involvement in the political leader’s death.

Luis Almagro, the head of the Organization of American States (OAS), is also questioning these claims, saying, “[his death is] the direct responsibility of a torturing and homicidal regime.”

A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, stated that investigations into Albán’s death will be included in a wider inspection of possible human rights abuses in Venezuela. “We do indeed call for a transparent, independent investigation to clarify the circumstances of his death...We understand there are conflicting reports on what exactly happened,” she said.  

The United States Government has also spoken out against the Venezuelan government. Vice-President Mike Pence tweeted shortly after the U.S. Office of the Press Secretary released a statement, “The regime continues to kill innocents & those standing up for democracy. We stand w/ the Venezuelan people & demand the release of political prisoners.”

According to members of the opposition, more than 100 of its members are currently being held by the government as political prisoners, lacking of access to the outside world and experiencing constant infringements of their rights.

The Venezuelan government holds that it is not responsible for the death of Albán in any way. He was buried by his family and supporters on October 10.