Wuilly Arteaga, the young violinist who became a symbol of anti-government protests in Venezuela was freed on Tuesday after three weeks in detention, Venezuelan chief prosecutor Tarek Saab said.
Arteaga, 23, has become one of the best-known faces of protests against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He would play the national anthem as tear gas enveloped him and rubber bullets flew around him.
Anti-government protests in the past four months have left more than 120 people dead.
Photo: Reuters
However, the demonstrations have fizzled as a controversial Constituent Assembly — which has been criticized globally as a sign that Venezuela is turning into a dictatorship — went ahead earlier this month.
Arteaga was freed on Tuesday, although under unspecified conditions, Saab said on Twitter on Tuesday evening.
Arteaga had simply been left in a Caracas square by the National Guard, campaigner Alfredo Romero of the Penal Forum rights group said, adding that the group had been searching for the musician, who had been detained during a protest on July 27.
Arteaga was beaten with his instrument by officials, leaving him hard of hearing, he added.
“They burned his hair with a lighter, beat him very hard, meaning that he cannot hear through his right ear,” Romero said late last month.
The country is undergoing a major crisis, with millions suffering food and medicine shortages, as well as soaring inflation.
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