Held Captive: French Yoga Teacher Recounts Jail Hell

A French yoga teacher, detained on June 26, 2025, after crossing into Venezuela from Colombia, has described his harrowing experience in a Venezuelan jail. Masked agents apprehended him, initiating an ordeal in an underground prison in Maracaibo, characterized by damp cells, deplorable toilets, and the presence of cockroaches and fecal matter. He also observed blood traces on the walls and instruments of torture.

Interrogated by military intelligence, he was accused of being a spy, with threats of prolonged imprisonment and "opening him up." He was later transferred to Caracas, experiencing detention in both a military intelligence center and Rodeo 1 prison. Conditions remained grim, with scarce food, frequent illnesses like diarrhea, and limited access to water.

Prisoners endured propaganda blaring from loudspeakers, loud folk music, and nightly interrogations. Torture methods included beatings, suffocation with teargas, and plastic bags sprayed with insecticide tied around heads. Some inmates were forcibly intubated or sodomized with tubes.

After months of diplomatic negotiations involving France, Brazil, and Mexico, he was freed in late November and returned to Paris. He now seeks official recognition as a victim by the French state and aims to shed light on the situation of hundreds of political prisoners in Venezuela.