Jesús Silva, a diplomat in times of dictatorship

I met Jesus Silva on April 30, 2019. That morning, with the support of the military and police, I managed to escape from my condition as a prisoner, at that time in prison at home, from the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro. Like the day I arrived at the Ramo Verde military prison in February 2014, Venezuela It was full of protests, streets taken over, people mobilized and a lot of pressure in the air. After the first hours of a massive demonstration, I had to seek refuge in embassies.

First I arrived at the Chilean Embassy, ​​where several colleagues from my Voluntad Popular movement were already there. From there, I managed to communicate with several presidents in the region to ask for protection for soldiers and civilians persecuted by the dictatorship. Many countries offered support. In my case, thanks to the contact that my wife Lilian had with Jesús Silva, Spain opened its doors to welcome me as a guest.

That April 30, at four in the afternoon, Lilian, our daughter Federica, barely one year old, and I arrived at the Spanish Embassy. Lilian and Federica stayed with me for a month, until they managed to escape to join my older children in Spain. I stayed at the diplomatic headquarters for 18 months with Jesús and his wife Sara.

Jesús had been expelled from Venezuela months before for his position against the regime, and only after resolving the impasse diplomat had been able to return. But his return never freed him from constant harassment. During that year and a half, the dictatorship besieged the embassy, ​​cutting off electricity, water, and garbage collection, and surrounding it with dozens of state security forces. No one entered or left without being harassed by the SEBIN (Bolivarian Intelligence Service). On several occasions, armed groups and up to a hundred police officers appeared with an intimidating attitude. The threat of a violent incursion was permanent.

In the midst of that siege, Jesús Silva never gave in. He was repeatedly called to the regime’s Foreign Ministry, where they tried to pressure him to isolate me and, finally, hand me over. He never did. I was a direct witness of his diplomatic work under extreme conditions: always calm, firm in his principles, and deeply human. His charisma, accompanied by unwavering conviction, allowed him to keep the pretensions of authoritarian power at bay.

Thanks to his leadership, the Spanish Embassy became a center of European diplomatic articulation in favor of freedom and democracy in Venezuela. Jesús was committed to the cause of political prisoners, supported dozens of families, and maintained permanent contact with the relatives of Venezuelans of Spanish nationality imprisoned for political reasons. He guided them, accompanied them and worked so that their cases were heard both in Caracas and in Madrid.

I remember one early morning in September 2020, when Jesús informed me that his period in Venezuela was coming to an end. He asked me to think about what to do. I responded that my decision was to leave the embassy. It was not an easy decision, but after seven years in prison, separated from my family and with my sick mother in Madrid, I understood that it was time. A month later, I managed to escape, crossed Venezuela, crossed into Colombia and finally arrived in Spain.

We met again many times in Madrid. In 2022, Jesús received double recognition for his work as a diplomat committed to human rights: the Medal of Honor from the World Jurist Association and recognition from the Human Rights Foundation, both awarded within the framework of the Oslo Freedom Forum. In his acceptance speech, he said that one of the greatest challenges of European diplomacy was to actively promote democracy where there is none.

Shortly after, he was appointed ambassador in Cape Town, South Africa, where in 2023 he once again stood out for his energy and charisma. During my visit with the World Liberty Congress, I was able to meet him again. In a few months he had already earned everyone’s respect and affection. It was through him that I met Desmond Tutu’s family and other leaders of the fight against apartheid, today allies of our global movement for freedom.

In an increasingly autocratic world, the example of Jesús Silva as a diplomat is a reference for the challenges faced, not from the abstract of a foreign policy, but from the personal and moral dimension of those who serve in authoritarian countries. I have seen the extremes: I have seen diplomats kneel and remain silent, and I have seen the example of Jesus, who never fell and always advanced in defense of the principles of democracy, freedom and human rights.

Jesus, dear brother, fly high. Here we will always remember you with gratitude, admiration and affection. Your example will continue to inspire diplomats and defenders of freedom around the world.