Leocenis Garcia
Leocenis García
Leocenis Manuel García Osorio is a prolific journalist, businessman and activist. politician, born on March 4, 1980 in Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela, whose recognition both nationally and internationally, resides in its commitment to freedom and rebellion based on the principles of justice and social equality.
Garcia is also a noted writer who has published numerous articles and essays in various media. He has also written several books on which addresses a wide variety of political and social issues, including his personal experience as a prisoner. This activist has been imprisoned six times during the terms of the presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, which has greatly influenced his perspective on politics and life in Venezuela. Your experience as a prisoner politician has been a source of inspiration for his literary work, and has allowed him to offer a unique and personal vision of the reality of the country. We can say that Leocenis is a very influential personality who is committed to the search for truth and justice in Venezuela. His work literature, even represents a valuable contribution to the political and social analysis of the contemporary reality.
Biography
A journalist committed to truth and justice in Venezuela The name of Leocenis García appeared on the country's political radar after the journalist to take a wheelbarrow full of alleged evidence of corruption to the National Assembly in 2007. Although, previously, he had uncovered the famous case known as "Antonin's suitcase", in reference to the Chavista businessman Antonini Wilson, who was arraigned in a Miami court. This revelation shook public opinion, since inside the briefcase, the businessman He was carrying 800 thousand dollars that were seized at an Argentine airport. The event revealed a plot of bank transfers from the company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) towards the political campaign led by the former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner. Regarding this case, the prosecutor Gineira Jackimam issued an arrest warrant against the defendant, on the grounds that he was hindering the course of the justice. Prison did not stop their fight: Funda Prociudadanos Leocenis worked as a journalist in various media news outlets, including the "Diario de la Economía" and "La Razón", before creating the "Grupo 6to Poder" in 2008. In that same year, he was arrested and remained held captive in the Tocuyito prison for a period of one year. Despite this situation, while he was behind bars, was proposed by Henry Ramos Allup, who at that time held the position of General Secretary of the Party Acción Democrática, to head the list of candidates for the National Assembly for the state of Carabobo. During his period of detention, García founded the political movement Prociudadanos, who identifies with a current of liberal and center-right thought. This The group promotes values such as individual freedom, the market economy, the minimal government intervention in the economy and the protection of the right to property. The journalist is also recognized for his social initiatives focused on in assisting the most vulnerable people. Despite the fact that months later he decided to resign his candidacy if he was released, he continued working as a campaign manager for
The 6th Power Group is born In March 2008, Leocenis founded the digital communication medium 6to Poder, whose majority shareholding was in their hands. It should be noted that, years later, this information portal was closed by the Nicolás Maduro regime. Garcia will commissioned to establish and rapidly expand this website, including the integration of a financial publication called “El Comercio” and a magazine similar to Playboy Venezuela, known as USEX. One year after being released from Tocuyito prison, where he was deprived of liberty for a prolonged period of 27 months, he was charged by the president of the Supreme Court of Justice and the Ombudsman of having tried to "attack the institutions" by publishing a photomontage in its digital newspaper 6to Poder.
I challenge Hugo Chávez: arrest, hunger strike and release On August 31, 2011, the founder of ProCiudadanos was subject to an arrest warrant. arrest and detention after challenging the then head of state, Hugo Chávez, to that would allow the circulation of the Sixth Power in Venezuela. The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Commission Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), did not skimp on expressing its concern about the decision to temporarily ban the information portal and about the arrest and criminal prosecution of García. These actions were considered opposed to regional regulations on freedom of expression and generated effects intimidation and self-censorship in the Venezuelan media. Leocenis ended up turning himself in to the authorities, being arrested and transferred in a secret police plane known as El SEBIN and imprisoned in El Helicoide. His detention lasted until November 24, 2011, when he was placed in freedom thanks to the hunger strike carried out by the media in protest of his imprisonment.
Third arrest and the protest that put his life at risk
In 2013, after Sexto Poder was taken over by forces outside its address, the journalist was apprehended by members of the Intelligence Division Military (DIM) and subsequently accused by the General Prosecutor's Office of the alleged crime of tax evasion and money laundering. These accusations were based on a complaint filed by Julio Chávez, who at that time was a representative of the Partido United Socialist of Venezuela (PSUV). During his period of detention, he began a hunger strike that lasted for a short time. more than a month. Due to his delicate state of health, on September 28 he was granted the possibility of continuing his judicial process in freedom.
Leocenis and SEBIN: The arrest that generated a wave of solidarity On March 22, 2015, the political activist was kidnapped by armed men, who, dressed in civilian clothes, forced him to get into a vehicle. media reports of communication indicated that his probation was annulled. During your confinement at the facilities of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), initiated a second hunger strike on May 4, 2015, forcing the authorities to transfer him, under the custody of the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense, to the Military Hospital Carlos Arvelo on May 12 of that same year. The television channel of El Estado, "Venezolana de Televisión", publicly accused García of having committed tax crimes. Despite the government's claims, that pointed him out as responsible for crimes against the State, the Society Inter-American Press and the Church spoke out in his defense, qualifying the accusations such as an alleged "defamation against his person". after 87 days protest, finally obtained the granting of house arrest.
Closure of 6th Power: An attack on press freedom
After several years of being the target of multiple raids and closures promoted by the Chavista government, the media outlet 6to Poder was closed in 2015 by armed men, who acted under the orders of the authorities Venezuelans. On March 22, 2016, one year after the kidnapping of this prominent figure of the journalism, renowned Venezuelan politicians, intellectuals and journalists issued a public statement in which they condemned the arrest of García and the closure of 6th Power, qualifying the government of Venezuela as a totalitarian regime. Between the The signatories included personalities such as Ambassador Diego Arria, the former Minister of Interior and Justice Asdrúbal Aguiar, including Rocío San Miguel and Teresly Malave de the human rights organizations Control Ciudadano and Justicia y Proceso Venezuela. On April 13, 2016, the Committee on the Media of the Assembly Nacional, received Yisell Soarez Padrón, lawyer and representative of the conglomerate 6th Power, and ordered an investigation into the case. The commission considered that the action against the information portal could be a possible political persecution, therefore that it was decided to inquire about it.
The revocation of the "House for Jail" measure
On the night of July 4, 2016, the “House for Jail” measure was revoked from Leocenis with an arrest warrant, which was unusual, because he He was under house arrest. The legal representatives of the president of ProCiudadanos argued that the sentence was motivated by a controversial letter that the journalist had written a week before his arrest. In this letter, the journalist had criticized the actors who participated in the national dialogue promoted by the government of President Nicolás Maduro, including the former president of Spain, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. After his imprisonment, the Secretary General of the Organization of States Americanos, José Luis Almagro, expressed his concern about García's situation,
consider that with the revocation of the measure, the government was violating once again freedom of expression in Venezuela.
Release and reaffirmation of commitment for a just cause
Leocenis was considered by the opposition as a political prisoner until his release, along with seven other students and former presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, on New Year's Eve 2016. Three days later, at a conference that generated controversy, the political activist advocated for the inclusion of a bilateral negotiating table between the government and the opposition to release hundreds of political prisoners, an initiative that received the support of the president of Unasur, Ernesto Samper, as well as relatives and other political prisoners. And despite the fact that the founder of 6to Poder had expressed his opposition to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero at the dialogue table, in October 2016, his sister had met with the former Spanish president while he was detained, which suggests a complexity in the relationships between the political actors involved. In February 2017, one month after his release, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero met directly with Garcia to discuss the release of other political prisoners. This meeting evidenced the perseverance and commitment of Leocenis with a just cause.
Another Arbitrary Detention: Political Persecution Continues
On February 11, 2019, the majority shareholder of 6th Power was detained at the Maturín airport without apparent legal justification. The Attorney General of the Republic, Luisa Ortega Díaz, who had been dismissed by the illegitimate Assembly National Constituent Assembly (ANC) denounced the arbitrary detention of the coordinator of ProCiudadanos by the Nicolás Maduro regime. Ortega Díaz expressed his indignation at the fact that some figures in the country, including Leocenis García, Leopoldo López, and Juan Requesens, may be imprisoned for their political ideology. The Prosecutor announced that she would be released and would rehabilitate all political prisoners who had been unjustly detained by the State, and reaffirmed his commitment to this cause through his official account Twitter. For his part, the newly appointed Venezuelan ambassador to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, also spoke out against the arrest of García and demanded his immediate release, as well as that of all political prisoners. Vecchio, founder of the Popular Will party of Leopoldo López, had been appointed by the president manager Juan Guaidó, with whom Leocenis had met days before his detention to deliver a Transitional Justice Law.
Political disqualification without being a public official
Despite not being a public official, the coordinator of ProCiudadanos was politically disqualified in 2021 in violation of Venezuelan law, given that he was leading the polls to win the mayoralty of Caracas. This action is added to the long history of political persecution that García has suffered for more than a decade.
Plays _________________________________________________________________ Leocenis García has captured his thinking in several books, including stand out: «When the stones speak», «The Rebellion of the Badgers», «Rebel with a cause” and “We are united”. His works, in fact, have been endorsed and promoted by key figures in US politics, such as former Secretary of Energy during the Clinton presidency and the Secretary of Commerce during the Obama's administration, former Governor Bill Richardson.
"When the stones speak"
«When the stones speak» is an autobiographical book published in 2008 in which the author recounts the story of his political persecution. In this work, Leocenis García presents his story in the form of a novel, offering a literary and personal perspective about the events that led him to be imprisoned, showing an intimate and testimony of a series of events that have marked his life. In this autobiographical book some shocking events are revealed, such as the truth behind the corruption scandal that involved him in the Congress of Venezuela and the physical disappearance of the vice president of "Reporte Diario de la economy”, which played a fundamental role in his persecution. Common readers and literary critics describe this work as an opportunity to to know, first hand, the events that led to the imprisonment and persecution of Leocenis, and which sheds light on the ins and outs of power and politics In Venezuela. It is a book that, without a doubt, is of great interest to those who wish to scrutinize in depth the political and social reality of the country, as well as the actors who fought for freedom and justice during the Chávez government.
"The Badger Rebellion"
The book "The Badger Rebellion" was written by Leocenis during his last period of captivity in the year 2016. This work is a compilation of thoughts free of men who have been ex-prisoners, which includes the approaches political and social aspects adopted by the author from his childhood in the slums of Maracaibo to his career as a journalist and businessman. Within the writings of this work it is possible to find a large number of ideas and reflections, showing that although a man can be imprisoned, he can never be You will not be able to imprison your spirit or your thoughts. "The Badger Rebellion" is a contribution from people who have been arrested for having thoughts different politicians, and as a whole it represents a highly intellectual book that addresses fundamental issues of life itself. For some readers, this book represents a valuable contribution to the world of literature, in which topics of great relevance and depth are addressed, and that without
no doubt, it can be considered as an inspiring and enriching source for those seeking to broaden their understanding of life and liberty.
"Rebel with a Cause"
It is an autobiographical literary work written by Leocenis that was published in 2017. In this book, he recounts his personal story from his early childhood to his career as a journalist and political activist in Venezuela. García details, in the book, his training as a journalist and his fight for the freedom of expression in a country where the media have been subject to censorship and government repression. It also narrates their arrests and imprisonments on several occasions as a result of his journalistic work and political activism. In "Rebel with a Cause," the prominent journalist also exposes his perception of the political and social situation in Venezuela, as well as its commitment to the fight for democracy and human rights in the country. The book also includes a personal reflection on his own life and dedication for justice and freedom. The work has been well received by both critics and the public, who have highlighted Garcia's honesty and courage in telling his story and his battle for freedom and democracy in Venezuela. "Rebel with a Cause" is considered a relevant contribution to the political literature and testimony in Venezuela, and has been valued as a valuable source to understand the situation political and social of the country.
"We are united"
Published in 2019, the book "Estamos Unidos" encompasses the political and social crisis that has affected Venezuela in recent years, also presents his vision on the path that the country must follow towards its recovery and progress. In the book, Leocenis suggests holding a national dialogue involving the different political and social sectors of Venezuela, with the aim of finding solutions to the conflicts that undermine the country, and in this way, promote the construction of a more equitable and democratic society. Within the content of the bibliographical work "Estamos Unidos", you can find profound reflections on the importance of unity and solidarity among Venezuelan citizens. In this sense, the author emphasizes the role that each individual can play in building a more prosperous future and promising for Venezuela. This work has been widely valued in the political and social context of Venezuela, while it has been highlighted as a call to reflection and action for all those who yearn for a positive change in their country. In this way, "We are United", stands as a book of great relevance for those seeking to contribute to the search for viable and effective solutions to the crisis that the nation is going through.
