Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04CARACAS1114
2004-03-31 20:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:  

CELLIST TELLS OF TORTURE AND FLUBBED INVESTIGATION

Tags:  PHUM PGOV PINS VE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001114 

SIPDIS


NSC FOR TSHANNON AND CBARTON
USCINSO ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2014
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PINS VE
SUBJECT: CELLIST TELLS OF TORTURE AND FLUBBED INVESTIGATION


Classified By: Political Counselor Abelardo A. Arias for Reason 1.4(d)

--------
Summary:
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001114

SIPDIS


NSC FOR TSHANNON AND CBARTON
USCINSO ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2014
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PINS VE
SUBJECT: CELLIST TELLS OF TORTURE AND FLUBBED INVESTIGATION


Classified By: Political Counselor Abelardo A. Arias for Reason 1.4(d)

--------------
Summary:
--------------


1. (C) National Guard troops detained Carlos Izcaray, first
cellist with the National Symphony Orchestra, March 1 while
he was observing demonstrations in Caracas. Guardsmen beat
him, subjected him to electrical shocks, forced him to inhale
tear gas in an enclosed space, and burned tear gas powder in
his hair. On March 2, he was released and went to the
hospital, where staff photographed his injuries. Izcaray
filed a complaint with the Attorney General's Office
(Fiscalia) on March 5, and was examined by a doctor from the
GoV scientific investigative police (CICPC) on March 8. By
March 17, the prosecutor assigned to his case, Danilo Jaimes,
had not read Izcaray's statement, and did not have the photos
of his injuries in the file. Izcaray's report to human
rights NGO COFAVIC resulted in media coverage, but
information the prosecutor's office has given the press is
often false. Izcaray's case is another example of physical
abuse at the hands of GoV security forces and the Attorney
General Office's refusal or inability to properly document
and investigate allegations of torture and human rights
abuses. End Summary.

--------------
Surprise Detention
--------------


2. (SBU) During a meeting with poloff March 26, Carlos
Izcaray described his mistreatment at the hands of National
Guard troops and his subsequent efforts to report what
happened and seek redress from GoV authorities. Izcaray, who
is the First Cellist with Venezuela's National Symphony
Orchestra, was observing demonstrations in Plaza Francia in
Caracas on March 1. When the National Guard began detaining
people, he did not run because he believed it was apparent he
was not a demonstrator and therefore would not be seized.
Troops threw Izcaray into a truck with about ten to fifteen
other people, however, and took him to National Guard Station
51 in the capital's Paraiso district.

-------------- --
Torture with Guns, Helmets, Electricity and Gas
-------------- --



3. (SBU) During the night, guardsmen beat him repeatedly with
guns and helmets, tortured him with electrical shocks, and
forced him to inhale tear gas in an enclosed space. He
alleges his attackers sprinkled tear gas power on his hair,
lit it with a match, and let it burn for a few moments before
blowing it out. He was also humiliated and insulted, and he
believes he was singled out for especially bad treatment
because his skin was lighter than the other detainees with
him. He was released on March 2 after being warned not to
tell anyone what happened if he wanted to live. He was
immediately hospitalized until March 3. Hospital staff
photographed his injuries.


4. (SBU) Izcaray went to the Attorney General's Office
(Fiscalia) on March 5 to file an official complaint.
Although he had heard prosecutors were refusing Human Rights
reports, a friend advised that a "competent" prosecutor was
on duty that day to receive the complaint and ensure that it
was handled properly. Izcaray received a medical examination
from forensic specialist from the GoV scientific
investigative police (CICPC) on March 8. The CICPC doctor
did not take any new photos, but accepted Izcaray's pictures
taken at the hospital. Izcaray returned to the Attorney
General's Office on March 17 with two witnesses to support
his testimony. The prosecutor assigned to his case, Danilo
Jaimes, did not ask what happened to him and had not read
Izcaray's prior statement. In addition, Jaimes said the
photos Izcaray left with the CICPC doctor were not in the
prosecutor's file. Izcaray gave the prosecutor another set
of the photos, but concluded that his case is not being taken
seriously.

--------------
Reporting Abuse Outside GoV Circles
--------------


5. (SBU) Because of the death threat he received at the
National Guard station, Izcaray agonized before finally
deciding to report his experience to human rights NGO
COFAVIC. Since he went to COFAVIC, his case has received
significant media coverage, but information the prosecutor's
office has given the media is often false. For example,
although the prosecutor never contacted Izcaray about any
additional medical examinations, he saw a newspaper article
on March 26 in which the prosecutor claimed to have ordered
another medical exam to determine the nature of his injuries.


--------------
Comment:
--------------


6. (C) Izcaray's case is another example of physical abuse at
the hands of GoV security forces and the Attorney General
Office's refusal or inability to properly document and
investigate allegations of torture and human rights abuses.
President Hugo Chavez and other GoV authorities have
repeatedly declared in national broadcasts that no human
rights complaints have been filed with police, and accused
various international human rights NGOs of "conspiring" to
push him from power in a coup d'etat. The courage of victims
like Izcaray to report their stories will be key to inform
the human rights community and set the GoV's record straight.


SHAPIRO


NNNN

2004CARACA01114 - CONFIDENTIAL