The new school year in the Sierra-Amazonia regime begins on September 1, 2026, with over 1.7 million students returning to 6,000 schools and colleges. ^[1] The Alliance for the Freedom of Political Prisoners protested on September 1 in Venezuela to demand accountability from Penitentiary Service Minister Julio García Zerpa regarding inhumane detention conditions. ^[2] The alliance reported that conditions in prisons such as El Rodeo I, Yare, and Guaicaipuro include inadequate food, lack of specialized medical attention, torture, and cruel treatment. ^[3] A new internal security plan called 'Escudo' will be launched, allowing police to enter schools for prevention activities and bag checks if requested by the principal. ^[4] The National Police will deploy 12,101 officers to secure the exteriors of 4,744 schools and colleges in the Sierra-Amazonia regime provinces. ^[5] Activists criticized the Venezuelan government for continuing negotiations with officials Jorge Rodríguez and Diosdado Cabello, alleging these officials have taken retaliatory measures against those who denounce the situation of political prisoners. ^[6] Activists reported the death of political prisoner Jovanny González and estimated that 20 prisoners with serious pathologies have died or disappeared due to lack of medical care, though six specific cases were detailed in their document. ^[7] Jorge Rivadeneira, Vice Minister of Public Security, stated that the 'Escudo Plan' aims to prevent criminal infiltration without criminalizing students. ^[8]