VHeadline Venezuela News (Patrick J. O'Donoghue): The government has come under severe criticism for its alleged failure to follow through its human rights commitments. Former Venezuelan representative before the Inter-American Human Rights Court, Carlos Ayala Corao blames the government for what he calls chaos within the reign of impunity.

"Impunity is a structural situation in which crimes, offenses, and violence are not tackled, investigated or truly penalized ... as a result it is the selfsame impunity that generates a situation in which there is no reason NOT to commit crime ... Venezuelan society continues submerged in the chaos of violence and citizen insecurity."

Any justice system, the lawyer states, should be articulated by the police, public prosecution ministry, the judiciary and the penitentiary system aligned with a citizen security policy as stipulated by the Constitution.

Referring to the anniversary of the spontaneous riots on 27, 1989 -- El Caracazo (27F) -- the lawyer points out that the State recognized its international responsibility when the COFAVIC human rights groups took it to the Internet American HR Court establishing 14 orders of integral reparation beginning with the exhumation of bodies thrown into a common grave, recognition of the deceased by forensic experts and handing the remains to the families. Other orders are still pending even today.

20 years after the Caracazo COFAVIC human rights group claims that the value of truth has been lost in Venezuela. Veteran COFAVIC executive director, Liliana Ortega calls on the government to create a coalition to compile information and present proposals in what she calls emblematic cases of HR violations. The organization is presenting an agenda of cases, which even though it is not exhaustive, Ortega admits, are top priority, such as those of El Amparo, Caracazo, Catia prison 1992, the Vista Hermosa massacre and the forced disappearances in Vargas (1999). Ortega points out that compensation has been paid out to families of Caracazo victims but she says it was not enough because research into the cases of human rights violations should proceed further in all the above mentioned cases.

In what appears to be political move on the part of the government, Ombudswoman, Gabriela Ramirez has declared that the government is disposed and interested in compensating victims of the 27F Caracazo not included in the COFAVIC legal demand before Inter American Human Rights Court. Ramirez made a statement after leaving a workshop on the right of visitors to prisons. According to the Ombudswoman, her office has spent a year researching case files of persons who claim they were excluded from the compensation scheme. The number of victims that could benefit from the measure are between 60 and 70 persons.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick@vheadline.com

http://www.vheadline.com/patrick