Joint Statement / 131 NGOs draw attention to the deterioration of the civil rights of the Venezuelan people and the criminalization of human rights organizations

Nicolás Maduro revealed that on Sunday, May 3, the army and police forces carried out an operation that resulted in the death of eight alleged “mercenaries” (of whom, at the moment, little official information is available) and arrested several others, after they attempted a maritime incursion into the country; Later on May 4, another 13 people were arrested in Chuao and Puerto Maya, Aragua, according to official statements. Both incidents took place under the so-called “Operation Negro Primero“, a civic, military, and police joint task.

It is important to remember that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, had already warned in her report on Venezuela that “the government might be using the Special Action Force (FAES) and other security forces to instill fear among the population and maintain social control”, adding that in“ In most of these cases, detained women and men were subjected to one or more forms of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, such as electroshock, suffocation with plastic bags, drowning, beatings, sexual violence, food and water deprivation, and exposure to extreme temperatures,”. The report claimed that the intelligence services (SEBIN and DGCIM) resorted to these methods. The High Commissioner herself later claimed to regret that Nicolás Maduro did not consider her request to dissolve the Special Actions Forces (FAES) and that, instead of eliminating them, the government had chosen to publicly reaffirm its support to them. The cases of Councilman Fernando Albán, Inspector Óscar Pérez, or Frigate Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo have been denounced in the past for being consistent with the practices described in the High Commissioner’s report.

For this reason, the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights (PROVEA) wrote on its Twitter account that “the human rights of those detained in recent events must be respected. We hold Tarek William Saab and Alfredo Ruiz responsible for any forceful disappearance and act of torture against the apprehended. ”

Following the declaration from this independent non-governmental organization dedicated to the promotion and defense of human rights in Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro has insisted on accusing and threatening PROVEA in the following terms: “PROVEA now says that the human rights of these noble stray sheep have to be respected, when we have enough recorded material with their voices and their faces saying they came to kill by blood and fire”, adding“ that they are an organization funded by the CIA”. These statements add up to many others such as those of Diosdado Cabello, who claimed on public TV that “evidence has been presented of PROVEA being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to destabilize Venezuela,” and Nicolas Maduro, who said in an August 2015 press conference that “The attacks follow the same script, the same is said by a political organization funded by the United States government called PROVEA, a political organization of the Venezuelan right (…) we have the evidence of its funding by the NED, here is the evidence of that. The government of the United States funds Provea [sic], a political organization they label an NGO to receive funding and make them speak throughout the world and Venezuela. Well look, look at the script. The Provea political party, funded by the United States government. ”

It should be noted that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights agreed in December 2019 to grant precautionary measures to the PROVEA Coordinating Team, considering that it was the subject of stigmatizing statements by high-level State authorities “… Such messages seek to discredit the work of defending human rights in Venezuela carried out by PROVEA, claiming it is the recipient of money from “imperialism”, “linked to the CIA”, “lacking legitimacy for being funded from abroad”, “a right-wing political operator”, an organization that “for ideological reasons, but especially for money, operate under the orders of the empire “, or an organization that develops “subversive” material, among others (…) The Commission considers that stigmatizing statements by high-level State authorities against human rights defenders contribute to exacerbating the climate of hostility and intolerance among the population, which can have an impact on the life and personal integrity of defenders, increasing their vulnerability … “

In that regard, the human rights organizations that subscribe to this statement express:

1) That the standards of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, as well as those of other organs of the Universal System, contemplate that detainees or those deprived of liberty are under the custody of the State in a relationship of special subjection which places them in a condition of vulnerability and obliges the State to provide them protection, to the point of becoming a guarantor and responsible for the life and integrity of the people who remain in its custody.

2) That national and international human rights organizations are not allowed to verify the confinement condition of the political prisoners, because they are banned from entering the detention facilities. There is no guarantee whatsoever for conducting any investigation on possible human rights violations since neither the Public Ministry nor the Ombudsman’s Office is independent and impartial bodies.

3) That General Assembly Resolution A / RES / 53/144, of March 8, 1999, through which the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders was approved, establishes that the States must “Guarantee and support the creation and the development of independent national institutions in charge of promoting and protecting human rights ”, being the intimidations of the Nicolas Maduro regime towards the work of human rights defenders, and specifically PROVEA, a violation of the international obligations of the State under the United Nations System and the Inter-American System, in addition to a breach of Precautionary Measure No. 438-15, issued in December 2019, Resolution 63/2019, by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights IACHR in favor of the PROVEA coordinating team.

Considering the aforementioned, the signatories declare:

1) That the Human Rights of the people detained in the incidents mentioned in this statement and announced by Nicolas Maduro must be respected; Holding Tarek William Saab and Alfredo Ruiz responsible for possible forceful disappearances and acts of torture against the apprehended since, according to the report on Venezuela by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, torture and ill-treatment against persons deprived of liberty for political reasons is systematic; Noting with concern the cases of Councilor Fernando Albán, Inspector Óscar Pérez and Frigate Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo, who lost their lives in the hands of the Nicolas Maduro regime, and other prisoners who have denounced torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

2) That we reject the reckless accusations coming from the Nicolas Maduro regime against human rights organizations such as PROVEA, demeaning and distorting their legitimate work in favor of human rights, publicly assuming that their interventions have an interest in destabilizing, thus exposing the members of the organization and / or others who share the same mission to risks such as threats to their life and personal integrity and / or acts of intimidation, being the disrespect for the Constitution, the will of the people, and the Pacts and Treaties on Human Rights which truly destabilize the Republic.

3) That we demand to immediately stop the criminalization and harassment against Provea, by Nicolas Maduro and other members of his regime such as Diosdado Cabello and guarantee the free work of organizations and human rights defenders in Venezuela since it serves all people without discrimination; We urgently call to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, to pay special attention to these new incidents that add to the deterioration of the civil rights of Venezuelan people.

Signatories:

1. A.C Anzoátegui Sin Sida

2. A.C. MÉDICOS UNIDOS DE VENEZUELA

3. Acceso a la Justicia

4. Acción Solidaria

5. ACONVIDA

6. Acorde 33 Justicia y Paz

7. Amigos Trasplantados de Venezuela

 8. AQUÍ CABEMOS TODOS

9. Asociación Civil CEDISUC

10. Asociación Civil fuerza, Unión, Justicia, Solidaridad y Paz (FUNPAZ)

11. Asociación Movimiento Vinotinto

12. Asociación Venezolana contra la Hemofilia

13. Asociación Venezolana de Mujeres

14. Asociación Venezolana de Servicios de Salud de Orientación Cristiana (Avessoc)

15. Asociación Venezolana Para la Hemofilia

16. ASOVIDA (Asociación por la Vida) Mérida

17. ATRAEM

18. Aula Abierta

19. AVESSOC

20. Ayúdame a Lograrlo A.C.

 21. Banco del Libro

22. Caleidoscopio Humano

23. Cátedra de DDHH de la UCLA

24. Cátedra de la Paz / Universidad de Los Andes

25. Centro de Acción y Defensa por los Derechos Humanos (CADEF)

26. Centro de Animación Juvenil

27. Centro de Formación para la Democracia

28. Centro de Justicia y Paz (CEPAZ)

29. Centro para la paz y los Derechos Humanos de la UCV

30. Centro para los Defensores y la Justicia (CDJ)

31. Ciudadanía Con Compromiso A.C

32. Civilis Derechos Humanos

33. Clima21 – Ambiente y Derechos Humanos

34. CODEHCIU Comisión para los Derechos Humanos y la Ciudadanía

35. CODHEZ

36. Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos de la Federación de Colegios de Abogados de Venezuela del Estado Lara

 37. Comité de DDHH para la Defensa de Pensionados, Adultos Mayores y Personas con Discapacidad

38. Comunidad en Movimiento A.C

39. Conciencia Ciudadana A.C

 40. Control Ciudadano para la Seguridad, la Defensa y la Fuerza Armada Nacional

41. Convite AC

42. Cooperativa Caribana

43. Crea País

44. Defensa en Acción

45. Defiende Venezuela

46. Democracia Emprendedora

 47. Dorixa Monsalve Dam

 48. EDEPA AC

49. Eduard Rondón

50. El Jardín de la Esperanza

51. Espacio Público

 52. EXCUBITUS Derechos Humanos en Educación

53. FEDERACIÓN NACIONAL DE SOCIEDADES DE PADRES Y REPRESENTANTES – FENASOPADRES

54. FUNCAMAMA

55. Fundación Agua para Todos

56. Fundación Aguaclara

57. Fundación Ambientalista de Caricuao.

 58. Fundación Incide

59. Fundación La Gran Victoria

 60. Fundación Lucelia

61. Fundación para el Debido Proceso

62. Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral FUNDESI

63. Fundación Pro Bono Venezuela PROVENE

 64. Fundación Prodefensa del Derecho a la Educación y la Niñez

65. Fundación Punto Ecológico

 66. Fundación Venezolana de ingeniería Ecológica (FUNVIE)

 67. Fundapmotriz

 68. FundaRedes

 69. Fundehullan

70. Gipsy Gómez

 71. GobiérnaTec

72. Griselda Colina

73. Grupo Social CESAP

74. INAESIN

75. Instituto Mead de Venezuela A.C

76. Justicia y Paz OP Venezuela

77. Labo Ciudadano

78. Laboratorio de Paz

 79. Las Piloneras

80. LIGA MERIDEÑA CONTRA EL SIDA

81. Luisa Rodríguez Táriba

82. Monitor de Derechos Humanos

83. Monitor Social AC

84. Movimiento Ciudadano Dale Letra

85. Mulier

86. Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la ULA

87. Observatorio Electoral Venezolano (OEV)

88. Observatorio Global de Comunicación y Democracia

 89. Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones

90. Organización Comunitaria Brisas Orinoco

91. Organización Comunitaria El Junquito y su Gente

 92. Organización Comunitaria Esperanza Punceres.

93. Organización Comunitaria Fe, Alegría y Paz

94. Organización Comunitaria Libertador

95. Organización Comunitaria Solidario Punceres

 96. Organización Humanitaria Las Vírgenes

 97. Organización Humanitaria Zona 10

 98. Organización Natural Bio Conservation A.C

 99. Orpanac

100. Plataforma contra el Arco Minero del Orinoco

 101. Prepara Familia

102. PROMEDEHUM

103. Primeros Auxilios Margarita

104. Proyecta Ciudadanía A.C

105. Red Andina de Organizaciones en DDHH (RADAR)

106. Red de Activistas Ciudadanos por los Derechos Humanos (REDAC)

107. Red de Defensores de Derechos Humanos del estado Cojedes

108. Red de Organizaciones de Derechos Humanos del Estado Anzoátegui. REDHANZ

 109. REDHNNA, Red por los Derechos Humanos de NNA

 110. REDRESS

 111. Revista Sic del Centro Gumilla

112. Rita Marín

113. SCOMGTA

114. Semillero Humanitario A.C

115. Sinergia Red Venezolana de Organizaciones de Sociedad Civil

116. Sociedad Hominis Iura (SOHI)

 117. Stop VIH

118. Tibisay Betancourt Parra

119. Todos por el Futuro

 120. Transparencia Venezuela

121. UCAB -Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

122. UCV – Universidad Central de Venezuela

123. Una ventana a la libertad

124. Uniandes A.C.

125. Unión Afirmativa

126. Unión Vecinal para la Participación Ciudadana A.C

127. Verónica Colina

 128. Vicaría de DDHH de la Arquidiócesis de Barquisimeto

129. VIDAS

130. Voto Joven

 131. World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP)