Francisco Usón

Francisco Usón is a former Venezuelan general who was arrested on May 22, 2004 on charges of slandering the armed forces of Venezuela. On December 24, 2007, he was freed on a conditional release.

Career and arrest

After graduating from the military academy, Usón held a number of positions, including Brigadier General and Chief of the National Budget Office. On April 16, 2004, Usón appeared live on a Venezuelan television program hosted by journalist Marta Colomina. During his interview, Usón was questioned regarding the incidents surrounding the Fort Mara military base, where a fire in a punishment cell burned eight soldiers on March 30, 2004.^[1] He was arrested after claiming that the use of a flamethrower to create the fire would have meant premeditation, saying that “This is very, very serious if it ends up being true.”^[2]

Human rights groups have called the arrest biased, with the Human Rights Foundation calling it a violation of "his right to be free of arbitrary detainment, the right to speak freely, and the right to equal treatment and due process under the law."^[3] On December 24, 2007, Usón was freed on the conditions that he not comment about his case; not participate in any political events, marches, protests, or gatherings; not run for public office; and that he submit to a psychiatric evaluation.^[4]

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