PUBLIC AI Index:
AMR 53/007/2003
UA 130/03 Fear for Safety
09 May 2003
VENEZUELA Miguel Díaz Loreto (m)
Dinorah María Díaz Loreto (f)
Jairo Alexis Díaz Loreto (m)
Bladimir Díaz (m)
Alexandra Gualdron (f),
Enmary Cava (f)
Dinorah María Díaz Loreto, Jairo Alexis Díaz
Loreto, Bladimir Díaz, Miguel Díaz Loreto,
Alexandra Gualdron and Enmary Cava are all family
members from the town of Cagua in the State of
Aragua. They have been subjected to escalating
death threats and harassment in recent months,
allegedly by agents of the Aragua State Police and
Amnesty International is seriously concerned for
their safety. The family members have been
pressing the local authorities to carry out an
exhaustive investigation into the killing of
brothers Robert Díaz Loreto and Antonio Díaz
Loreto and their father Octavio Ignacio Díaz, who
were killed in suspicious circumstances, by agents
of the Aragua State Police on 6 January. Since the
investigation into the killings began the family
members have reportedly been subjected to
systematic harassment and death threats. The most
recent incident took place on 26 April when police
agents entered the house of Miguel Angel Díaz
Loreto reportedly without a warrant. They wanted
to arrest him for his alleged involvement in a
recent crime. As a result of the police operation,
Miguel Angel was temporarily detained by the
police. Whilst also in temporary custody during
the operation, Dinorah María Díaz was reportedly
told by one of the police agents that he would
kill all of her family, if they continued to
pursue an investigation into the deaths of Robert,
Antonio and Octavio Ignacio Díaz. Miguel Angel was
also urged to stop supporting the case.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Many Venezuelan states, including Aragua, Bolívar,
Anzóatequi, Portuguesa and Falcón, have a history
of extra-judicial executions carried out by the
police and a failure to protect witnesses and
family members of the victims. Both the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American
Commission of Human Rights have intervened in
several of these cases, requesting that local
authorities and the Venezuelan state investigate
these crimes and provide protection to those
involved. However, the measures requested by the
Inter-American System have not, in most cases,
been carried out effectively.
In December 2002, Cesar Emilio Machado was
reportedly assaulted and threatened by the
Municipal Police in Girardot, city of Maracay,
Aragua State in order to prevent him from
testifying in a trial against the Municipal Police
(see UA 32/03, 29 January 2003, AMR 53/004/2003)
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR530072003?open&of=ENG-VEN