The priest of the San Alberto Hurtado church, Alfredo Infante, points out that the State’s policies have not been comprehensive and therefore have not produced any result. He assures that many innocent people died in the events that occurred in La Vega on January 8 and that it is regrettable that neither the Prosecutor’s Office nor the Ombudsman’s Office had addressed the situation with the urgency of the case

On the afternoon of Friday, January 8, when everything seemed to indicate that a normal weekend under the restrictions of the radical quarantine by covid-19 was about to begin, the residents of La Vega found themselves all of a sudden in the middle of an armed confrontation that left several victims on only one side of the warring factions, but also plunged several families in the area into mourning as stray bullets hit neighbors who had nothing to do with the operation. The result was 23 people killed, a balance that has led several human rights organizations, including Provea, to describe the act as a massacre.

That day, members of the dreaded Special Action Forces (FAES) stormed the lower part of the hilly neighborhood of La Vega in the south of Caracas, apparently to confront some armed elements who were in the area. For several hours, the residents lived the horror of being in the middle of a shooting and seeing how the glass of their windows was shattered by the bullets.

Days before, some neighbors had reported on social media the presence of armed elements, supposedly linked to gangs in an area adjacent to La Vega: Cota 905. This was the excuse for the action of the FAES, in an operation reminiscent of the former “People’s Liberation Operations”, where alleged criminals were killed without previous confirmation or trial. In many cases, the victims had no criminal record, all with the aggravating circumstance that in Venezuela there is no death penalty.

Father Alfredo Infante assures that the situation is due to wrong public policies

Father Alfredo Infante, who has dedicated his pastoral work to social action in La Vega, where he holds functions as the priest of the San Alberto Hurtado parish located in the upper part of the area, deeply regretted the tragedy but points out that the situation is the product of wrong public policies regarding public safety, which have allowed particular groups to take over territories not only in Caracas but across the country.

“What happens in La Vega is not an exception, it is happening throughout the country as a product of several of State policies, more than 20 of them, which are fundamentally repressive and limited; and we know that repression is not the way to restore or re-establish order, it is important to bet on education, culture, sports, so that children and young people can grow up in safe spaces, in addition to having jobs. The reestablishment of the country’s institutionality is an urgent need, ”said the Jesuit priest.

He affirmed that the incident fills many families in La Vega with mourning, but considers that it also has an impact on the rest of the population who live in similar situations and who are neglected in terms of public safety.

“It must be very clear that the common citizen of La Vega wants to live in peace, have a job and access to education, and many people are working on that. Unfortunately, amid so much adversity, it becomes increasingly difficult to carry out these purposes. There is great pain, mourning, fear, especially among the youth. Mothers fear for their kids because they are the target of a State that regards them as criminals, and criminal gangs who see them as human capital for their organizations”, explained the priest, who has been in charge of soup kitchens and sports programs in the area for several years.

Father Alfredo Infante pointed out that, a few days after the “massacre”, many innocent victims of this tragedy are beginning to emerge, people who had no connection with the armed actors.

La Vega bears a label of violence, but it is much more than that, says Father Alfredo Infante

“It is important to emphasize that La Vega is a place with a very important tradition of community organization in Caracas. It is not just a battlefield between the forces of the State and the gangs, ” said the priest during the interview after mentioning the “human wealth that exists in this densely populated area”

“Unfortunately, in the Venezuelan imaginary, especially in the imaginary of the city towards the slums, there is this label of violence; We must say they are not just violence. All the other things are much bigger but do not have great resonance” he asserted.

The priest pointed out that it is alarming that a civilian population is trapped in the middle of a battlefield in an area with a significant population density, something that constitutes a human rights violation.

“In any conflict of an armed nature, the civilian population, vulnerable and helpless, must be protected, especially from crossfire,” he said.

The worrying silence of the authorities

In the opinion of Father Alfredo Infante, it is very worrying that the competent bodies, such as the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic and the Ombudsman’s Office have not offered a public statement of the incident as of January 14.

“The death toll stood at 23 as of January 13, including the information on several victims of different ages who were not linked to any of the actors. Given this, neither the Prosecutor nor the Ombudsman of the Republic has offered a word of condolence to the families and the community, when their mandate is to protect the lives of the people and make sure that the police operations are carried out with the due process, ” said Father Alfredo Infante.

In his opinion, there are many things to investigate regarding the massacre and he asks to work to bring the truth to light, so there could be justice and reparation to the families.

Lingering public unease

-Several protests took place in La Vega at the end of 2020 and the first days of 2021. What is the situation in the area?

-As in the whole country, there is a serious collapse of public services. At the end of 2020 and the first week of 2021, all sectors of La Vega took to the streets. This was covered by the press and the digital media. Most protests were due to the deficiencies in the water supply since many areas have gone a full month without service, and it has become a serious issue. The other problem is the shortage of cooking gas that puts the population at disadvantage because it greatly affects their day-to-day life. Green spaces have been deforested for wood and crops. Some people have resorted to sowing to feed themselves.

Father Alfredo Infante assures that all this situation has generated a lot of discomfort among the people, who have organized and held demonstrations. “At first, the authorities responded to the demands. And the massacre took place after the protests, so you wonder what is behind all that, “he warned.

-What information do you have on the operation of armed groups in the area?

-Mainly the information from the residents transmitted through WhatsApp. There was a significant presence of armed groups, which is why it is painful for me to see a residential community turned into a battlefield. The result is that the state security forces are supposedly acting to confront a criminal gang that has displaced police officers and their families from their homes in the area, according to residents’ recounts. The worrying thing is that many innocent people die amid the confrontations. No one has the right to take anyone’s life.

“Human tragedies must be avoided, the sad thing is that, apparently, some people are taking advantage of the investigation. In some of the cases, young men are said to have been taken from their homes, and others who were innocent ended up dead, ”he pointed out.

-Can you describe the work of the security forces in the area in recent times?

-There has been a presence of police officers in key points, such as La India and Las Torres, and intermediate operations have taken place. On some occasions, there have been dramatic police operations, but that is quite occasional. Police officers usually spend their time in the area asking the merchants for food or money, since their wages seem to be too low. All this changes whenever a protest is staged: police officers arrive in their motorcycles, often with no intention of repressing. However, as in this case, there have been major incursions, especially whenever the FAES gets involved.

A declaration is not enough for reconciliation

-The president of the Nicolás Maduro’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, spoke of the search for understanding and reconciliation. Do you think that is possible, and what does it take?

-Reconciliation cannot be a shallow gesture Reconciliation has to be founded on justice and truth. I cannot support the reconciliation of cemeteries at a time when children are dying of hunger, so many people are unemployed, teachers are broken and the education system is eroding. Reconciliation goes through a proposal to restore institutionality. There must be signs of a will for reconciliation. A declaration is not enough when NGOs are being persecuted, a tragedy unfolds in La Vega, or when teachers cannot afford one daily meal.

“Is the government calling for reconciliation or resignation? They are two very different things, to conciliate means to become friendly or agreeable, and the prefix re means ‘back’ or ‘again’. Venezuelans must become friends again, but that friendship cannot be based on resignation, but there must be political will. There must be signs of the will to rebuild, restore and reunite the country. The lie behind the proposal is evident when you listen to a declaration for reconciliation in the National Assembly at the same time when a TV show points fingers at the organizations working in the humanitarian field or defense of human rights in the country”, expressed Father Alfredo Infante.

He pointed out that whenever someone wants reconciliation, he shows signs of that will; Otherwise, it is a call for resignation to the status quo. “For mutual recognition, there must be clear signs that the parties intend to reestablish the institutions so that there is life,” he said.

Censorship seeks communicational hegemony

-In addition to the operation in La Vega, the Executive branch took actions against some media outlets, including the VPI TV station, who saw its equipment confiscated; newspaper Panorama, whose headquarters was closed for several days, and TalCual, who suffered a cyber attack against its website.

-Since the statement by the then Minister of Communications, Andrés Izarra, it is clear that the communicational hegemony is being sought, through a steamroller that has been taking out of the way the outlets and journalists that resist the move. It is a constant dynamic. This year, the attack has deepened against the few spaces that remain as means of information for the people. A single version of reality is sought that pleases the interests of power, that is why I believe that this declaration for reconciliation is an act of rhetoric that does not seem real under this context. Just as the political parties were dismantled, now it seems that the new agenda of power follows this direction.

-What actions should the State take in the face of the La Vega incident?

-Both the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ombudsman’s Office must assume their responsibility of investigating to deliver justice, truth, reparation, and avoid repetition. When tragedy strikes, the first thing to demand is a thorough investigation to know the truth. Once the truth is known, there must be justice, the perpetrators must be prosecuted and the victims must receive reparation from the State.

“We know that the death of a loved one, regardless of their condition, will not be restored, but there is a process of reparation, and all of this leads to the guarantee of non repetition. As impunity deepens, the population will feel more helpless, and helplessness means being at the mercy of anyone who exercises power arbitrarily; that fact is very important, ”said the priest.

Father Alfredo Infante concluded by emphasizing that La Vega is a mine of humanity. “There are many talented people who dream of spaces for their children, there are a series of positive initiatives that will not be discouraged and that will come out stronger,” he said while sending his deep condolences to the affected families.

Translated by José Rafael Medina