Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04CARACAS1115
2004-03-31 23:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:  

FEAR OF REPRISALS AND UNDERREPORTED HUMAN RIGHTS

Tags:  PGOV PHUM 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 001115 

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM VE
SUBJECT: FEAR OF REPRISALS AND UNDERREPORTED HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES

REF: CARACAS 00809

Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, for reasons 1.4
(B) and (D)

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001115

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM VE
SUBJECT: FEAR OF REPRISALS AND UNDERREPORTED HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES

REF: CARACAS 00809

Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, for reasons 1.4
(B) and (D)

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) The Coordinadora Democratica (CD) claims its figures
on human rights violations are the most accurate in
Venezuela, though they are higher than those reported by the
media and NGOs. DCC Judicial Advisor D'lsa Solorzano told
poloff March 23 that even DCC numbers, do not portray the
true magnitude of human rights violations because 70 percent
of the victims fail to report them. Human rights NGO COFAVIC
concurred. One such victim told poloff March 26 that his
attackers threatened to kill him if he talked. End Summary.

-------------- --------------
Political Group: Defends Its Human Rights Figures
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Coordinadora Democratica (CD) Judicial Advisor D'lsa
Solorzano told poloff March 23 that the opposition umbrella
group's human rights abuse figures are larger than GOV, NGO,
or media estimates because it allows victims to remain
anonymous. For instance, she said as of March 23 the DCC
documented 13 missing opposition sympathizers, compared with
seven missing people tracked by the media. Likewise, the DCC
knows of 26 politically motivated deaths since February 27,
eleven more deaths than commonly reported by media and NGOs.
The DCC alleges there are 135 political prisoners, 33 in
Caracas alone, according to Solorzano, although Caracas daily
El Universal listed 72 as of March 18.


3. (C) Adriana Sanoja, Media Director of Un Solo Pueblo
(USP),told poloff March 25 that many victims preferred to
report crimes to the DCC, rather than official sources they
don't trust or human rights NGOs they are unfamiliar with,
because "everyone knows someone in the DCC." She said some
opposition sympathizers may trust the openly political DCC
more then more neutral human rights NGOs, suspecting the
groups may share information with counterparts in the GOV.
She also claimed the DCC did a good job publicizing itself as
a complaint center in the wake of the post February 27
protests.


4. (C) Sanoja lamented that her party is having trouble

getting citizens to denounce attacks by armed Chavistas or
the Sucre municipality's pro-GOV police force publicly. She
claimed that people found the formal legal process
intimidating and threats from neighbors and local MVR leaders
ensure silence. "Why should they talk?," asked Sanoja
rhetorically. "They have a choice between complaining to a
justice system that will not help them and the possibility
that they could lose benefits or even get hurt."

--------------
Most Cases Unreported, Especially in Barrios
--------------


5. (C) Solorzano asserted that even the DCC figures
underrepresented the magnitude of the human rights problem in
Venezuela because only about 30 percent of attacks, whether
committed by civilian groups or uniformed security forces,
are reported to GOV institutions or NGOs because of
retaliation fears from "Chavista authorities." Liliana
Ortega, head of Venezuelan human rights NGO COFAVIC, told
poloff March 24 that Solorzano's estimate of underreported
attacks is likely correct and that many victims do not report
the crimes to COFAVIC or any other NGOs due to reprisal
fears.

--------------
Student Fears Reporting Assault
--------------


6. (C) Student David Gamez (please protect) told poloff March
26 that he was attacked by plainclothes off-duty police March
4 in the Libertador municipality. Gamez was walking to his
parent's apartment shortly after 10:30 p.m. when an unmarked


car pulled up to the curb in front of him. Four men in
civilian clothes emerged and demanded to see his
identification. The men told him his identification card was
a forgery and asked for more identification. Gamez presented
his student identification, which they also rejected as fake.
They then asked him for his wallet and attacked him when he
refused to hand it over.


7. (C) According to Gamez the men pistol-whipped him and
kicked him while calling him "golpista" and "esqualido"
(literally "coup-monger" and "squalid one," these are
pejoratives Chavistas use to describe upper-class opposition
supporters). As they tried to handcuff him and push him into
the car, Gamez's friend, who was walking with him, approached
the scuffle and yelled at the men. The four then beat
Gamez's friend for a few minutes, threw Gamez's wallet back
to him, and appeared to be leaving. Gamez asked the men to
return 15,000 Bolivares in his wallet, which prompted another
beating before they departed.


8. (C) Gamez suspected the men were either off-duty
Libertador Police or Political Police (DISIP) because they
wore yellow badges around their necks and referred to the
older man as commissioner. They never identified themselves
and warned not to report the incident "if you know what is
good for you." Gamez decided not to report the attack to
official sources or human rights NGOs on the advise of
National Guard and police classmates. His mother, however,
complained to the Libertador Police without his permission.

--------------
Comment
--------------


9. (C) As a political organization, the DCC may not be the
most objective source for human rights violations, but it is
doing a significant job collecting information. Solorzano
and Sanoja make a strong case for why DCC figures only seem
inflated and are actually low. There are surely victims who
have not and will not report human rights violations, a fact
that will continue to bear on the issue as the GOV plays to
minimize the dimension of the issue.
SHAPIRO


NNNN

2004CARACA01115 - CONFIDENTIAL