Last Tuesday, December 10th, International Human Rights Day, an initiative was born in Caracas to seek justice, truth, reparation, and non-repetition of the serious human rights violations that occurred during the 2017 protests in Venezuela. Its name is Alfavic, Alianza de Familiares y Víctimas del 2017 (2017 Families and Victims Alliance), a committee of parents, brothers and relatives united by a common tragedy: the loss of their loved ones when they exercised their right to peacefully demonstrate.
Alfavic arises from the need of the families of these victims to seek justice and face all the obstacles that the State imposes on them in their cases, from the constant change of prosecutors, omission of obligations of the authorities, absolute impunity with all the perpetrators of the crimes, to the deprivation of the fundamental right of having access to the files of their loved ones. Alfavic has been seeking justice after more than two years of total impunity.
This non-profit civil association composed of family members tracks the fight for the files of Juan Pablo Pernalete, Nelson Daniel Arévalo, Fabián Urbina Barrios, Luis Guillermo Espinoza, Rubén Darío González, Daniel Queliz, Leonardo González, Yorman Bervecia, Miguel Castillo, Yoinier Peña, Manuel Sosa, Augusto Puga, Roberto Durán and Luis Alviarez; 14 Venezuelans who paid the price for taking out to a peaceful demonstration against the government of Nicolás Maduro.
A series of events that marked the lives of their parents, and the history of a country that was impacted by the record of these deaths that up to this day have not received a response from the Venezuelan State. On the contrary, it has only hindered their path to the truth, a truth that their relatives seek to clear the memory of all their loved ones. Alfavic is an organization that constantly struggles with the mourning of relatives who look for answers to all the murders and to bring the perpetrators to justice at some point.
Organized victims will increase their capacity to present adequate information to the United Nations fact-finding mission and the International Criminal Court in 2020. Facing a state that acts to promote impunity, victims have the option of activating international mechanisms that allow those responsible for serious human rights violations to be brought to justice.
International experience has shown that the role of victims is essential to achieve victory in the fight for justice. Those of us who are committed to democracy and human rights must support initiatives such as these, which also have to surpass the obstacles and threats of those who favor impunity.
Alfavic handed UNDP members a document that records the difficulties of access to justice they have suffered. As part of a battle in the search for truth. From Provea we accompany this association in its stance towards Venezuelan society, defending their rights and noting their complaints.
