Leopoldo Lopez screams for freedom from his Venezuelan prison cell

www.nyulocal.com October 29, 2014 

Last Saturday, Venezuelan political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez used the only thing he had, his voice and ideas, to communicate with his Venezuelan supporters. 

“We are not only protesting because of the injustices we suffer in this prison, but we are also doing it for all Venezuelans, whose human, social, economic and political rights are violated everyday,” the Harvard-educated politician yelled from his prison window to a crowd of supporters before alarms went off drowning the sound of his voice. In a shocking scene captured in video, Lopez once again asserted his dedication to what he called an “urgent change in the country,” and asked Venezuelans to not tremble in their search for freedom. 

Lopez has been held in a military prison on the outskirts of Caracas for more than nine months, without a trial, and in isolation. Even when the United Nations called for his release earlier this month, just a few days after Nicolas Maduros’ government obtained a two year term as one of the chairs of the Security Council. 

Hours before his pronouncement, officials told Lopez’s attorney that he would be transferred to a maximum-security prison as punishment for a protest that he and other political prisoners have been engaging in as a response to what they called the violation of their human rights. 

According to an October 24 written statement signed by Lopez and three other political prisoners, they have been completely isolated for seven months, with no visitations aside from family, and deprived of fresh air and sunlight. The document stated that the prisoner’s treatment has gotten worse after international support of the UN’s call for their freedom. The statement also announced that as part of their protest, Lopez and other political prisoners would make noise using the prison bars that jail them every night at 8 p.m. They called this movement “El Barrotazo,” and encouraged all Venezuelans to join them in making noise using the bars in their windows, which most Venezuelan homes have in order to keep safe from the high crime rate. 

Lopez and four student activists were imprisoned in February after President Nicolas Maduro blamed him for inciting the violent events that left at least 40 people dead during student protests earlier that month. 

Maduro has used political persecution as a key resource to maintain power, just like Chavez. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, between 2001 and 2010, at least 1,500 Venezuelans requested political asylum. In the past eleven years, the approved Venezuelan political asylums have increased by a staggering 1,156 percent, with many journalists and politicians citing prosecution and threats to their lives for voicing opposition to the government. 

Venezuelans who aren’t involved in politics often simply cite the country’s murder and kidnapping rates as a reason for their need for refuge in the United States. So many are fleeing the country that the Florida cities of Doral and Weston are now known as being highly populated by Venezuelans, with people often referring to them as “Westonzuela” and “Doralzuela.”

UN Human Rights Chief urges Venezuela to release arbitrarily detained protestors and politicians

GENEVA (20 October 2014) -- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, expressed serious concern on Monday at the continued detention of Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López, as well as more than 69 other people who were arrested in the context of public protests that took place across Venezuela over several months starting in February this year.

"The prolonged and arbitrary detention of political opponents and protestors in Venezuela is causing more and more concern internationally," High Commissioner Zeid said. "It is only exacerbating the tensions in the country." 

According to information received by the UN Human Rights Office, over 3,300 people, including minors, were detained for brief periods between February and June, and more than 150 cases of ill-treatment, many of them torture, were reported. At least 43 people were killed during the protests, including one public prosecutor and nine members of the security forces. Journalists and human rights defenders have also reported threats, attacks and intimidation. 

Last month, the Working Group on arbitrary detention stated its opinion that the detention of Leopoldo López, as well as that of former mayor of San Cristobal Daniel Ceballos, was arbitrary. 

Venezuela’s Failing State

By LEOPOLDO LÓPEZMARCH 25, 2014

www.nytimes.com

Los Teques, Venezuela — As I compose these words from the Ramo Verde military prison outside Caracas, I am struck by how much Venezuelans have suffered.

For 15 years, the definition of “intolerable” in this country has declined by degrees until, to our dismay, we found ourselves with one of the highest murder rates in the Western Hemisphere, a 57 percent inflation rate and a scarcity of basic goods unprecedented outside of wartime.

Our crippled economy is matched by an equally oppressive political climate. Since student protests began on Feb. 4, more than 1,500 protesters have been detained, more than 30 have been killed, and more than 50 people have reported that they were tortured while in police custody. What started as a peaceful march against crime on a university campus has exposed the depth of this government’s criminalization of dissent.

I have been in prison for more than a month. On Feb. 12, I urged Venezuelans to exercise their legal rights to protest and free speech — but to do so peacefully and without violence. Three people were shot and killed that day. An analysis of video by the news organization Últimas Noticias determined that shots were fired from the direction of plainclothes military troops.

Busting the myth of democracy in Venezuela

 Caracas Chronicles                                                                                                   
February 25, 2014

By Anabella Abadi y Bárbara Lira (The authors are from the consulting firm ODH)

FACT: on February 18, 2014, after a week of intense anti-government demonstrations all across the country, President Maduro attended a rally with oil-sector workers. In his speech he said “in Venezuela there are full democratic freedoms. We just had elections 8 weeks ago, or am I lying?” Minutes later he added “I ask the whole world, where in the world have there been 19 elections in the last 15 years?”

This has been a central message of the revolutionary government, gaining particular strength in the last few months. But, how truthful is it?

CONTEXT: Article 2 of the Venezuelan Constitution defines the country as a democratic state.  Article 63 establishes that “voting is a right,” and article 66 establishes that voters “have the right to have their representatives offer transparent and regular public accounts about their management efforts, according to the program submitted.” These articles are the basis of the idea that Venezuela is a democracy.

Since February 12, 2014, the country has been living under intense political tension marked by protests, violence and repression. Participants and promoters of these protests have upheld various motives and objectives -generally lacking clarity- but with a common denominator: they oppose Nicolas Maduro’s government because of the country’s serious inflation, shortages and criminal violence.

After almost two weeks of protests, there are complaints about violations of Constitutional and other Human Rights, media censorship and blockages to social networks, and the excessive use of force by the Central Government, including arbitrary detentions and alleged torture.

DEBUNKING THE ARGUMENT: equating multiple elections with the existence of a democratic state has been a key message of the Central Government for the past 15 years. In fact, elections –an average of 1.3 per year since 1999- have been used to justify all of the Central Government’s acts, and to answer to criticism about its political model. But, are elections the only element of a democracy?

URGENT ACTION ON SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN VENEZUELA

Source: www.derechos.org.ve

February 24, 2014

Member organizations of Foro por la Vida, together with other Venezuelan organizations, in light of serious violations of human rights in Venezuela

We, the undersigned organizations, given the worsening of the Venezuelan situation resulting from violence, misinformation, arbitrary detentions and other major violations of human rights that have occurred in the month of February 2014 make a call for urgent action in support of the observance of human rights, justice and peace in Venezuela.

The events taking place in Venezuela showcase the deterioration of public institutions to effectively arbitrate the diversity of political positions that exist in the country. In light of this situation it is important that various sectors of the national and international community take a stand to challenge human rights violations, calling for an independent investigation, requesting the cessation of repression and the opening of genuine dialogue.

Venezuela: HRF Declares Leopoldo López a Prisoner of Conscience and Calls for His Immediate Release

NEW YORK (February 21, 2014)—Yesterday the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) declared Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López a prisoner of conscience of President Nicolás Maduro’s government. HRF also joined the many high-profile figures and international organizations in calling for his immediate release. López was arrested last Tuesday in Caracas as he was leading a peaceful march towards the Ministry of Internal Relations, Justice, and Peace. Early yesterday morning a court ruled that López will remain under pre-trial detention in the Ramo Verde prison in Los Teques, Miranda, as criminal proceedings against him continue.

Leopoldo López kisses his wife goodbye before his arrest on February 18. 

“With López’s imprisonment and the brutally repressive tactics that police, armed forces, and paramilitary groups are using against his supporters, the Venezuelan state has lost any democratic façade it may have had,” said Garry Kasparov, chairman of HRF. “López’s supporters are the more than seven million people who voted for Capriles last April and that make up, according to official data from the chavista electoral council itself, 49.12% of voters in Venezuela. Maduro must understand that he cannot simply erase all of the opposition in the national assembly with the stroke of a pen and expect no complaints. And once they complain, he cannot simply call them fascists and shoot them down. Either Maduro releases López and calls for an honest dialogue with all of the opposition, or he must step down for the sake of all Venezuelans: both those who support chavismo and those who do not. Venezuela does not need an executioner willing to kill half of the country. Venezuela needs a president,” added Kasparov.

IACHR expresses deep concern over the situation with respect to the right to peaceful protest, freedom of association and freedom of expression in Venezuela

February 21, 2014

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has continued to monitor and gather information on the events that have transpired in Venezuela in recent days, and reiterates that it is profoundly disturbed by various complaints alleging violations of the demonstrators’ rights to peaceful protest and their rights to life and humane treatment, personal liberty, freedom of association and freedom of expression. 

The Commission has been particularly attentive to the serious complaints of alleged attacks by armed civilians against the demonstrators, during continued protests taking place in the country. In that context, a number of people were injured and one was killed when shot during the demonstrations staged in the city of Valencia on Tuesday, February 18. Also, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace, four people were injured bullet and another died in protests in the city of Puerto Ordaz, Wednesday 19. Similarly, the available information refers on activities of these groups in alleged raids made at the headquarters of a political party in Venezuela. 

The IACHR condemns any action of this nature and calls upon the Venezuelan authorities to step up measures aimed at ensuring that these groups are effectively disarmed, that their unlawful actions are investigated and punished and that public safety is guaranteed. The IACHR appreciates that the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has publicly condemned these acts of violence and made a call to disarm these groups. 

Venezuela must investigate demonstration deaths

Source: www.amnesty.org

Authorities in Venezuela must urgently investigate the deaths of three people during protests yesterday, said Amnesty International.

“It is extremely concerning that violence has become a regular feature during protests in Venezuela. If the authorities are truly committed to preventing more deaths, they must ensure those responsible for the violence, demonstrators, security forces and armed civilians alike face justice,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Americas Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“Protesters still held in detention must be charged with a crime or immediately released.”

According to reports, journalists were prevented from covering the protests. At least one TV channel is now believed to have been blocked.

REDLAD: Military and Police Crackdown Against Activists and Students in Venezuela

Source: http://www.redlad.org/node/210

MILITARY AND POLICE CRACKDOWN AGAINST ACTIVISTS AND STUDENTS IN VENEZUELA.

February 2014.

*Unofficial translation done only for the purpose of being understood.

The Permanent Secretariat of Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (REDLAD) warns about the wave of persecution and military repression in Venezuela recently deployed against youth, students and activists who defend human rights.

Shortages, insecurity, overwhelming inflation rates, the weakening of democracy, authoritarian policies, the persecution of civil society and the media, and the violation of fundamental freedoms and human rights are only part of the causes that have generated several youth organizations throughout the country, with several days in peaceful demonstrations demanding the government restore their rights.