IACHR Deplores Extrajudicial Executions Against a Family in Venezuela

[Bacchus39]

Washington, D.C., October 8, 2010 – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) deplores the fact that members of the Barrios family in Venezuela have been executed extrajudicially without the State having adopted measures to protect the life of these persons or to investigate these crimes.



Since 1998, six members of the Barrios family have been murdered, and in at least five of the cases these were extrajudicial executions perpetrated by police agents of Aragua State. The Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights have followed this situation through all available mechanisms (requests for information, precautionary and provisional measures, Commission reports on admissibility and on the merits, and submission of an application to the Inter-American Court), but the Venezuelan State has not adopted the necessary measures to protect the life of the members of this family, who continue to be targets of assassination, detention, raids, threats and harassment. Moreover, the State has not ordered an effective investigation of these crimes, which remain in impunity.



On September 1, 2010, Wilmer José Flores Barrios, aproximately 19 years old, was killed. Between 1998 and 2009, his brother Rigoberto, then 15 years old; his cousin Oscar, 22; and his uncles Benito, Narciso and Luis were also killed. Benito and Narciso Barrios were executed extrajudicially by Aragua police officers, and the IACHR determined in the processing of this case that there is enough evidence to conclude that Luis, Rigoberto and Oscar Barrios were killed in the same way.



The Inter-American Commission requested that the State of Venezuela adopt the necessary measures to protect the life and integrity of the members of the Barrios family, but the State never implemented measures to protect them. Similarly, the protection measures ordered by the Inter-American Court in November 2004 were never implemented either; another three members of the family were killed since these have been in force.

http://www.cidh.org/Comunicados/English/2010/102-10eng.htm

[naaman fletcher]

1. wow

whats the background on this?

[Bacchus39]

2. first I've heard of it. I am sure its related to the info you posted earlier

which was very enlightening.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Short article from 2005: Aragua police murder squad almost kills fourth family member under IAHRC pr

Published: Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Bylined to: Patrick J. O'Donoghue


Aragua police murder squad almost kills fourth family member under IAHRC protection

Amnesty International (AI) says it fears for the life of the Barrios family, inhabitants of the Central Venezuelan State of Aragua.

On 18 June, an attempt was made on the life of Oscar Barrios, nephew of Luis Barrios, allegedly slain by an Aragua State Police death squad in September 2004.

Constant harassment and attacks against the Barrios family started in 2003 after a murder squad shot and killed Narciso Barrios.
"Five unidentified armed men, wearing civilian clothes, reportedly pursued Oscar Barrios and attempted to shoot him as he was leaving the home of Carolina Garcia, the widow of Luis Barrios. Oscar Barrios was apparently able to escape by hiding behind some brushwood as the men left in a car. His mother, Elvira Barrios called the police agency responsible for their protection following the attempt on his life, but no one was reportedly sent to their home to take statements. "

In May 2005, the Inter American Human Rights Court (IAHRC) ordered the Venezuelan government to set up protection measures for the Barrios family after 4 members had been summarily killed.

More:
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=38661

~~~~~
Here's a petition submitted which describes the police behavior. It would be great spending some time researching these police in Aragua State. This is far beyond ordinary police brutality. They sound insane. The Barrios family will never be safe until something huge happens. It sounds as if the whole police department is caught up in this war on the family.

http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/cases/23-05.html

I'd like to know more about it somehow when I get some time to look.