CARACAS, Oct 13, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - An army general who aligned with
Venezuela's late Hugo Chavez but later broke ranks with the socialist
strongman and spent years as a prominent political prisoner has died of
Covid-19 while in custody, officials said Tuesday.

  "We regret the death of Raul Isaias Baduel of cardiorespiratory arrest as a
consequence of Covid-19," prosecutor general Tarek Saab posted on Twitter.

  Baduel, 66, had received an initial Covid-19 vaccination and "was receiving
appropriate medical care," Saab added.

  Baduel was Chavez's defense minister, and helped reinstate Chavez after the
April 2002 coup that briefly removed the president from power.

  The minister served almost eight years on corruption charges. After his
release in 2015, he was jailed again on charges of conspiracy against current
President Nicolas Maduro.

  Baduel's death means "there are now 10 political prisoners who have died in
custody" since 2015, said Gonzalo Himiob, a lawyer for the human rights NGO
Foro Penal.

  "The responsibility for the life and health of any detainee rests with the
state. Medical treatment is continuously required for prisoners," Himiob said
on Twitter.

  Two of Baduel's sons have also been arrested on allegations of conspiracy.
One, Raul Emilio, is at large.

  The other, Josnars Adolfo Baduel, was arrested for alleged participation in
a failed maritime invasion in 2019 that sought to overthrow Maduro. He is
still in custody.