Human Rights

Inside El Helicoide: Venezuela’s Notorious Political Prison and the Illusion of Reform

By National Security Desk | January 31, 2026

Venezuela’s El Helicoide, infamous for its political prisoners and alleged torture, faces a makeover proposal that fails to address the regime’s systematic repression—what does this mean for America’s stance on tyranny abroad?

El Helicoide, an emblem of political oppression in Venezuela, stands at a crossroads. Once envisioned as a futuristic commercial complex in Caracas during the 1950s, it has instead become a grim symbol of torture and arbitrary detention under Nicolás Maduro's regime. Now, Delcy Rodríguez—the regime's handpicked president following an unprecedented U.S. operation capturing Maduro—proposes transforming this notorious prison into a "social, sports, cultural and commercial center." But can such a rebranding erase years of human rights abuses documented by the United Nations and international watchdogs? How Can a Site of Torture Become a Center for Peace? The dark legacy of...

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