Following protests over President Nicolás Maduro’s disputed 2024 re-election, Venezuela faces its harshest wave of political arrests in decades. Many are accused of terrorism or incitement to hatred and denied access to lawyers or family contact. At the centre stands Alfredo Romero, executive director of Foro Penal: “What I want is for Venezuela to be a country of freedom”, he says. His organisation, branded a “terrorist organisation” by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, provides pro bono legal and humanitarian aid to hundreds of detainees and their families. Among them is Kennia Jimenez, whose son has been held for eight months on unfounded charges and reported torture that went unheeded. She clings to Foro Penal’s resolve as one of the few remaining lifelines for victims of repression. Vice President Gonzalo Himiob adds, “Legal language has reached its limit. We need to broaden our range of actions and move toward visibility and peaceful protest”.