Students protest in Venezuela after deaths of political prisoner and his mother

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A few dozen people demonstrated Monday in Venezuela’s capital in memory of a woman who died over the weekend, just days after learning that her son had died in state custody nine months ago.

The demonstrators, mostly college students, briefly blocked a highway in Caracas as they blamed Venezuela’s government for the deaths of Víctor Hugo Quero, whose detention was considered politically motivated, and his elderly mother, Carmen Navas. As the students chanted, they also carried a large banner with Navas’ photo.

“What it stirs up in Venezuelans, in the Venezuelan youth, is rage, man,” student leader Miguel Ángel Suárez said of the deaths.

Navas, 82, died 10 days after Venezuela’s prisons agency announced in a statement that Quero died in July after being hospitalized while in custody. The government withheld the information even as Navas demanded proof of life as she visited detention centers, courthouses and government agencies seeking the whereabouts of Quero, who had been detained since January 2025.

The government’s statement said Navas, a 51-year-old salesperson, died of “acute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary thromboembolism” 10 days after he was taken to the hospital for a gastrointestinal issue. It explained that Navas’ relatives were not notified of his death because he failed to provide contact information.

The case immediately drew the outrage of human rights organizations, members of Venezuela's political opposition and relatives of other political prisoners.

“They didn’t die; they were killed!” demonstrators chanted Monday. “Justice for Carmen!”

The Venezuelan prisoners' rights group Foro Penal estimates that more than 400 people are currently detained in the country for political reasons.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

University students clash with Bolivarian National Police during a protest calling for justice after the death of Carmen Navas who died the previous day in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, May 18, 2026, a week after the government confirmed that her missing son Victor Hugo Quero had died in custody following his arrest about a year earlier. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A woman holds an image of Carmen Navas during a protest calling for justice the day after her death in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, May 18, 2026, a week after the government confirmed that her missing son Victor Hugo Quero had died in custody following his arrest about a year earlier. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

University students clash with Bolivarian National Police during a protest calling for justice after the death of Carmen Navas who died the previous day in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, May 18, 2026, a week after the government confirmed that her missing son Victor Hugo Quero had died in custody following his arrest about a year earlier. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

University student protest for justice for Carmen Navas the day after her death in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, May 18, 2026, a week after the government confirmed that her missing son Victor Hugo Quero had died in custody following his arrest about a year earlier. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A man holds a Venezuela national flag during a protest calling for justice for Carmen Navas the day after her death in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, May 18, 2026, a week after the government confirmed that her missing son Victor Hugo Quero had died in custody following his arrest about a year earlier. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

ROME (AP) — A car-ramming and stabbing attack in Italy's northern city of Modena by a citizen of Moroccan descent highlights the challenges around integration even for those in the second generation, the interior minister said Monday.

Eight people were wounded, four critically, when the 31-year-old man drove into pedestrians Saturday before crashing into a shop window.

Despite ruling out terrorism, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said it cannot be dismissed as an isolated incident. He said investigators must fully examine the factors behind the attack, suggesting social marginalization and perceived discrimination might have played a role.

Some Italian politicians seized on the attack to voice xenophobic rhetoric, and renewed focus on so-called second-generation Italians — people born or raised in Italy to foreign parents — who are often at the center of debates over identity, citizenship and integration.

“At this stage, there are no elements that correspond to the classic profile of a terrorist who plans violent actions,” Piantedosi told the daily Il Giornale, noting the man's mental health concerns and social distress. “But all this cannot lead us to dismiss the attack as the act of an isolated madman.”

Italian authorities said the suspect, identified as Salim El Koudri, attempted to flee and slightly wounded a bystander with a knife before being overpowered by passersby and detained by police. Prosecutors arrested him on charges including massacre and aggravated injury. A court hearing on whether to validate his detention was postponed to Tuesday.

El Koudri's lawyer said he will request a psychiatric evaluation, describing his client as “not lucid” and unable to explain what happened.

Fausto Gianelli, who met El Koudri in the Modena jail, said the man appears to be in a state of “absolute confusion” and lacks awareness of the events, which he seems to relive “as if for the first time” when they described them to him, the lawyer told Italian TV.

A woman remains in life-threatening condition while other victims also sustained severe injuries, officials said.

The suspect, born in Italy and university-educated, had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and had shown frustration over his work and social condition, local authorities said. They said he underwent treatment in 2022 for what officials described as a schizoid disorder before dropping out of care.

Still, the case has fueled political debate in Italy, where controlling and limiting migration is a key priority in Premier Giorgia Meloni ’s conservative agenda.

Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant League party, referred to the suspect as a “second-generation criminal” in a social post, renewing calls for stricter migration measures.

Salvini said he has instructed a group of jurists to refine security proposals recently presented by League, including the revocation of residence permits for foreigners who commit crimes, with immediate expulsion. He didn't provide data backing his proposal.

Opposition politicians criticized the government for seeking to use the case to toughen immigration rules.

“Even before the responsibilities and circumstances surrounding the incident had emerged, the deputy premier (Salvini) transformed a dramatic episode into an anti-immigrant rally,” said Carlo Calenda, leader of opposition party Azione.

Piantedosi sought to draw a distinction between the Modena attack and the government’s migration policies, stressing the suspect’s Italian citizenship while noting that doesn't guarantee successful integration.

He highlighted an email El Koudri sent to his university containing insulting language against Christians before later apologizing, suggesting possible resentment linked to perceived discrimination.

Piantedosi said investigators are still working to establish the full motive for the attack. He said the incident raises “profound questions” about integration, identity and marginalization, particularly among some second-generation immigrants.

Under Italy’s citizenship system, many are not automatically recognized as Italian at birth and may have to apply later in life. They may also face pressures linked to integration, including challenges in education, employment and social inclusion.

Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti called generalizations about foreigners “nonsense,” noting that two Egyptian migrants were among those who helped stop the attacker.

Thousands of residents gathered in Modena’s central Piazza Grande over the weekend in a show of solidarity with the victims.

Financial Police patrol a scene after a car incident in a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)

Blood is seen next to a destroyed car on a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)