Wives Protest for 64 Days to Free Their Husbands
Introduction
Two women, Mileidy Mendoza and Sandra Rosales, joined about 30 wives and mothers. They sat outside a police station in Caracas, Venezuela. They wanted the government to free their husbands. The husbands were in prison after a U.S. military operation on January 3. The government said it would free some prisoners. But it did not free their husbands. The women helped free 42 other people, but not their own husbands.
Main Body
The protest started after the U.S. military operation. The operation took President Nicolás Maduro away. A new leader, Delcy Rodríguez, took his place. On January 8, the government said it would free many prisoners. The women went to the prison to meet their husbands. But the government did not free them. So the women made a camp on a street in Caracas. They stayed there for 64 days. Mendoza and Rosales were not activists before. Mendoza stayed at home and sold things she made. She learned about her husband''s arrest in November 2024 from a friend. The police said he was part of a bomb plan. Rosales was a teacher. Her husband was arrested the same month for the same reason. The women said the police did not let their husbands call home. The government did not talk about these cases. The protest was hard for the women. They sang, used social media, and some did not eat for five days. On January 27, they visited their husbands. The men looked pale and thin. The women did not stop. They talked to lawmakers, filed papers in court, and held night meetings. On February 14 and March 6-7, the government freed 17 and then 25 prisoners. But not their husbands. Human rights groups said the government chose who to free. Over 400 political prisoners stayed in jail. The government did not say why it freed some people. The women learned their husbands were moved to a stricter prison. On March 13, after 64 days, the women left the camp. They continued to work from home. On April 5 (Easter), they visited their husbands again with their children. The visit was four hours. They talked about family. The women promised to keep trying. The protest was the first big challenge to the new government. The women changed. They learned to use megaphones, talk to lawmakers, and understand prison rules. They became close friends.
Conclusion
The protest did not free their husbands. But the women did not stop. They looked for other ways to get their husbands out. The story shows that the government says it will free prisoners, but it does not free everyone.