Venezuelan State still to come clean on Caracazo

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

In the run up to February 27, 1989 “Caracazo” anniversary, Cofavic human rights group, which was created out of the event, has once again slammed the government for failing to act on an Inter American Human Rights Court (IAHRC) ruling issued on August 29, 2002, to compensate families of victims killed by the security forces.

Executive director, Liliana Ortega says it’s a shame that Venezuela has not complied with international norms and that people buried in a common grave have not yet been identified after 14 years.

Ortega also calls on the Attorney General’s Office to leave aside political interests and investigate the murders of three soldiers connected to Plaza Francia (Altamira), the violent incident between Metropolitan Police (PM) and government supporters stationed in La Campina and the death of 2 government supporters in Los Proceres on January 3.

Ortega will visit the Inter American Human Rights Commission in Costa Rica this week to follow up the group’s complaint against the mushrooming of police murder squads throughout Venezuela, which the government has not acted upon, as well as the case of 60 prisoners murdered at the infamous Catia prison in 1992.

Among other abuses, Cofavic will highlight in its report are: generalized impunity, the security “Plan Avila” implemented in April 2002, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice’s (TSJ) ruling allowing the use of soldiers to maintain public order, the government’s decree creating security zones in Caracas, raids on industrial plants (Valencia) and excessive use of force to repress public manifestations.

Even though the government has until August 2003 to comply with IAHR Court rulings, President Chavez Frias could encounter problems regarding his HR record … he can still be accused of failing to fulfill his electoral promise to make HR an integral part of his presidency … the army, National Guard (GN) and Metropolitan Police (PM) were responsible for blatant HR abuses during the Caracazo.