From: Hilary Naylor <hnaylor@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 13 Dec 92 19:01 PST
Subject: VENEZUELA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DE
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700868:000:4566
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hnaylor    Dec 13 19:01:00 1992


From: Hilary Naylor <hnaylor>
Subject: VENEZUELA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DE

/* Written  7:01 pm  Dec 13, 1992 by hnaylor@igc.apc.org in igc:ai.general */
/* ---------- "VENEZUELA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DE" ---------- */
Amnesty International
International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 8DJ
United Kingdom 

DATE: 10 DECEMBER 1992

VENEZUELA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CONCERNED BY HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
FOLLOWING ATTEMPTED COUP

Amnesty International is deeply concerned about reports of killings of a
number of people in circumstances suggesting they may have been extra-
judicially executed by members of the security forces - in the wake of the
attempted coup on 27 November. The organization is also concerned about the
safety of hundreds of people arrested under suspicion of having participated
in the rebellion.

      On 27 November members of the Venezuelan armed forces attempted to
overthrow the elected civilian government of Carlos Andrs Prez for the
second time this year. The coup attempt was controlled by loyal forces on the
same day, during which several armed clashes were reported and the
presidential palace of Miraflores in Caracas was bombed by rebel planes. At
least 20 soldiers died in the clashes, and at least 130 civilians are reported
to have been killed in Caracas alone. A yet unspecified number of civilians
died in cross fire between rebel troops and loyal forces or were killed during
bombing raids.

      In a Caracas prison of Retn de Catia, at least 63 prisoners were killed
by members of the Polic!a Metropolitana, PM, metropolitan police and the
Guardia Nacional, GN, national guard. The police reportedly raided the prison
on 27 November to quell an escape which, the authorities claimed, had been
organized in relation to the military rebellion. Many of the prisoners were
reportedly victims of extra-judicial executions. This seems to have been
confirmed by forensic findings, which reported that bullet entrance wounds in
the back were found in many of those who died. 

      On 27 November the Venezuelan President announced  a curfew from 6pm to
6am and the suspension of a number of constitutional guarantees, including the
right not to be arrested except with a warrant or in flagrante delicto. At
least 1000 members of the security forces believed to have participated in the
coup, including some of its leaders, were arrested. Scores of civilians,
including students, university teachers and community leaders, were also
arrested in dozens of raids. Most of the civilian detainees are reportedly
being held by the Direcci"n de Servicios de Inteligencia y Prevenci"n, DISIP,
while the members of the security forces are under custody of the Direcci"n de
Inteligencia Militar, DIM, Directorate of Military Intelligence. 

      On 29 November the government announced that all those detained in
connection with the rebellion would be summarily tried by the military courts.
According to reports the detainees have remained incommunicado. Amnesty
International is seriously concerned for the safety of those arrested, and
also about the standards of independence and objectivity in their summary
trial proceedings. 

      On 3 December Amnesty International wrote to President Carlos Andrs
Prez to express its concerns about the human rights violations reported after
the coup attempt. The organization called on the Venezuelan government to
adopt a number of urgent measures to prevent further abuses by members of the
security forces, and to bring to justice those responsible for abuses which
had been committed. It also called for the government to ensure that the
suspension of guarantees would not lead to further human rights violations -
including torture of detainees - and that the right to habeas corpus of
detainees should be respected. 

      Amnesty International further requested that the government ensures that
representatives of the Attorney General's Office, who are charged with
protecting the rights of detainees and prisoners, have unrestricted access to
all those arrested - both civilians and members of the armed forces. The
organization also called on the authorities to adopt effective measures to
ensure adequate forensic examination of all the dead, including those killed
in the Retn de Catia. The organization said that under no circumstances
should the bodies be disposed of before their autopsies and identification -
and recommended that mobile refrigeration units should be used to prevent the
decomposition of the bodies as a result of overcrowding of morgue facilities.