Hundreds more Venezuelans come forward to register relatives as 'political prisoners'

Edilson Torres was set to be buried in his hometown after dying in a Venezuelan prison. He was held since November on what his family said were political charges. Torres, 51, died of a heart attack on Saturday as his family awaited his release. Alfredo Romero, director of Venezuelan advocacy Foro Penal, said his group has received a “flood of messages” from families registering loved ones as political prisoners. Romero says that of the roughly 300 families who reached out, about 100 cases have been confirmed as politically motivated. Most of those reported over the past few days, he said, once worked for Venezuela’s military.