Maracaibo. – Two years after the murder of Adrián José Duque Bravo during a protest in a neighborhood called “El Saladillo”, those responsible have not been determined. However, witnesses have pointed to some officials of the National Guard (GNB) that dispersed the demonstration. His parents, Henry Duque and Yumaira Bravo, have not rested in the search for justice.

‘Captain America’, as he was known by his relatives, was 24 years old, had obtained the degree of public accountant at the José Gregorio Hernández University and was the only male child of the Duque Bravo family. On May 24th, 2017, while the National Guard (GNB) repressed a protest in the neighborhood “El Saladillo”, located in the center of Maracaibo, Adrián was protected with a shield that emulated the famous marvel hero “Captain America”, but on that fateful day it was insufficient to prevent him from being shot in the left part of his abdomen that ended his life. He entered without vital signs to the Chiquinquirá Hospital of Zulia.

“Our son cannot be returned, but arrest the killer. My son was a person, not an animal. He deserves justice” Adrián’s parents expressed a year after his departure. One year after that declaration, justice has not arrived: the 45th Public Prosecutor’s Office of Fundamental Rights of the Public Ministry has not established those responsible for this execution and thus has forbidden the Duque Bravo family from obtaining the desired justice.

La Comisión para los Derechos Humanos del Zulia (The Commission for Human Rights of the Zulia State – CODHEZ) assists the family of the young Adrián Duque during the judicial process and has made three requests for access to his file. Two have been denied and the last, made on February 14th, 2019, has not yet been answered. With this action, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has impeded the right that the family of Duque Bravo have to participate in the criminal due process.Two years after the execution of this young Zulian, La Comisión para los Derechos Humanos del Zulia (CODHEZ) condemns the procedural delay evidenced in the lack of accusation derived from the deficient performance of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and demands the prompt prosecution of those responsible.

Photo: Ernesto Perez