Amnesty International today expressed
grave concern that this week's events in
Venezuela -- including the detention of a
prominent opposition figure and the killing of
army dissidents -- could lead to a further
deterioration of the human rights situation in
the country," Amnesty International said.
At midnight on Wednesday 19 February, Carlos
Fernandez, the President of the business
association Fedecamaras, and a prominent
leader of the general strike called by the
opposition, was arrested by armed police agents
in a restaurant in Caracas on charges including
"rebellion, treason, instigation to commit
criminal acts, conspiracy and sabotage". He was
reportedly given access to legal counsel and his
wife verified, after visiting him, that he had
not been ill-treated.
Further warrants have reportedly been issued
against other prominent members of the
opposition who were involved in the 63-day
national strike, including Carlos Ortega, head
of the Venezuelan Workers Confederation (Confederación
de Trabajadores Venezolanos,CTV), who has
reportedly gone into hiding and claims that he
fears for his safety if detained.
Although the government has denied any
politically-motivated interference by the
Executive in these arrests, days before
President Hugo Chávez had urged judges and
public prosecutors to take action against strike
organisers. Furthermore, he has publicly
expressed satisfaction at the arrests of what he
called "coup plotters".
"The Judiciary has a key role in preventing
these events from triggering an escalation of
the human rights crisis," Amnesty International
cautioned. The organization stated that any
judicial action against the former leaders of
the strike must be independent of any political
interference and strictly adhere to
international standards of due process,
reflected in the constitution.
The arrest came only days after the deaths of
three dissident soldiers and one woman last
weekend. The victims, whose bound and gagged
bodies were found at the beginning of this week
in Caracas, had been shot dead. There were
reported signs of torture on the bodies. The
victims had been part of the anti-Chávez
demonstration that had occupied Plaza Altamira
in Caracas. The government has attributed the
killings to internal feuds, while opposition
figures stated publicly that the deaths were
politically motivated.
"Given the Judiciary's crucial role in diffusing
tensions around this case, there must be an
immediate, impartial and exhaustive
investigation into the killings," Amnesty
International added.
"Immediate steps must be taken to protect
witnesses who may be subject to intimidation
given the politicised nature of the case".
An Accord Against Violence and for Peace and
Democracy was signed between the government and
the opposition on 18 February. The accord,
brokered by César Gaviria, secretary-general of
the Organisation of American States (OAS), calls
for the generation of "a climate of peace and
calm in the country" and for the legislature to
establish a "peace commission" that would be
charged with investigating the deaths that took
place during the failed coup against President
Hugo Chávez in April 2002.
Amnesty International reiterated its call on the
government, opposition and international
community to ensure that respect for human
rights principles is central to the agenda for
resolving the crisis.
Background
Throughout this year, political polarization in
Venezuela has been threatening to lead to large-scale
violence. Tension was especially intense during
the 63-day national strike that ended earlier
this month, which had been convened by the
opposition to overthrow President Chávez. Three
people were killed during an opposition
demonstration held on 6 December in Francia
Square in Caracas. The strike paralysed many
sectors of the economy and analysts forecast
that the Venezuela economy may shrink by up to
25% this year.
On 11 April 2002, a similar national strike led
to acts of violence which left 20 dead. This
violence in turn led to a failed coup and the
temporary detention of President Chávez. On 13
April, the President returned to power after
major national and international protests at the
breaking of the constitutional order. Since then,
there have been attempts to negotiate a solution.
César Gaviria, President of the Organization of
American States is currently acting as a
mediator in talks between the government and the
opposition.
For more background information, see
Venezuela: A Human Rights Agenda for the Current
Crisis (AMR 53/001/2003), published by
Amnesty International in January 2003:
http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/amr530012003
Public Document
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For more information please call Amnesty
International's press office in London, UK, on
+44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X
0DW. web:
http://www.amnesty.org
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