Daivis Pacheco Valero, 39, was not far from his home in Valera, Trujillo state, on July 31, when he saw a group of firemen pushing a fire truck that has left without gasoline during the nationwide shortage in the country.
Pacheco, a mechanic by profession, recorded the situation and uploaded the short and funny video about it to his social media accounts. Only 72 hours later, he was sitting in a police station, having been picked up by the Investigation and Scientist Police.
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Pacheco shot the video with his phone and made it public that Friday. Unluckily for him, it quickly went viral, with local media picked up the video and the story over the weekend to show it as evidence of fuel shortages in the region.
Now, the gasoline shortage gets recognized by local authorities: even the state governor, Henry Rangel Silva, asked the population to make efficient use of gasoline because there was not enough to cover the regional demand.
They demand full freedom
According to his relatives, Pacheco left his house and went to the police in Valera, after receiving a summons. He said he had nothing to fear.
Once there, officials informed him of his arrest without giving him any information about the crimes he would charge within the court, a major procedural violation. Unofficially, there is a possible charge of incitement to hatred and another of cybercrime.
Friends and family are calling for his immediate release, as they fear for his physical integrity. They received legal advice from lawyers from the NGO Foro Penal, but are seeking a private defender before the arraignment.
In the opinions of his relatives, Pacheco did not commit an illegal act and deserved to return to his normal life without the authorities taking any punitive action.
Currently, Pacheco is inside the station but not in a cell (which is usually overcrowded) in the station police, and the officials have allowed him food. However, his friends and relatives fear that he will be moved to a cell, where diseases like TB and COVID-19 abound.
Pacheco has no criminal record and is known for his dedication to service. All his life, he has dedicated himself, through his work, to taking care of his family by working as a mechanic, they say. His parents are two older adults who are affected by the situation, and his children and grandchildren are abroad.
