#Venezuela – Venezuelan authorities released Bishop Jylman Red Jurado Farfán in mid-August 2026 after more than five years behind bars on charges of terrorism, criminal association and conspiracy. Christian Solidarity Worldwide announced the news on September 3, confirming he was among 81 prisoners freed on August 14 from Rodeo III Prison in Miranda state. The government later cited 131 releases that day but did not name all those freed.
Bishop Jylman Red Jurado Farfán served in the Archdiocese of Venezuela of the Holy Spirit, part of the independent Latin American Anglican Church (Iglesia Anglicana Latinoamericana) based in Caracas. This church is not affiliated with the Church of England or the official Anglican Communion. He was described as a bishop focused on human-rights work.
Officials arrested Jurado Farfán on July 30, 2021, and accused him of attempting to destabilize the Venezuelan state. Prosecutors brought three counts: terrorism, criminal association and conspiracy. The government treated the case as a threat to public order and national security. Advocacy groups said the proceedings were deeply flawed. Authorities withheld his case file for nearly 10 months. After two years of hearings, the trial was suspended. Christian Solidarity Worldwide said no conclusive evidence of the alleged crimes was ever presented. Foro Penal, which tracks political prisoners, also listed him among those detained for political rather than ordinary criminal reasons.
He reported serious health problems in June 2026 while still in custody, including intercostal neuritis, atypical pneumonia and gastrointestinal bleeding. After his release, he described torture by interrogators. He said they pulled out his toenails and used electricity to reopen a burn wound on his chest.
The bishop thanked those who had advocated for him. “I bless God for the feeling and the desire that God placed in your hearts so that this liberation would be possible, where the Lord broke the chains of oppression, of fear, of torture, and gave us [physical] freedom,” he wrote.
Cover Image: Bishop Jylman Red Jurado Farfán seen prior to his arrest and incarceration due to opposition to the Maduro regime.
