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Monitoring protection mechanisms / Reports and Publications / Venezuela / 2014 / November

Venezuela: Examination of Venezuela before the Committee against Torture: A key moment to assess the situation in the country and the commitment to combat torture

A coalition of civil society organizations and academic institutions[1] submitted an alternative report to the Committee Against Torture in view of the consideration of Venezuela’s third and fourth periodic report concerning the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Convention), that will take place at the 53rd period of sessions, in October 2014. This document is the executive summary of the mentioned report which is available in Spanish and in English[2].

Despite significant progresses such as the approval of the Special Law to Prevent and Punish Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (Law against Torture) and amendments to the Organic Law on the Right of Women to a Life Free from Violence, the organisations who are the authors of this report express concern about the fact that torture continues to be committed by security forces and perpetuated due to a lack of action on the side of the national authorities.  

At the international level, Venezuela is yet to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), which was signed by this country in July 2011 during the Universal Periodi Review in the Human Rights Council. Venezuela has not yet accepted the visit requests extended by several UN human rights mechanisms such as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and of Association.

At the national level, protesters continue to be strongly repressed through excessive use of police force, threats, acts of harassment, arbitrary detentions and other forms of ill-treatment. An increase of the repression during the first semester of 2013 up to the present has been perceived by the authors of the report.




[1] This shadow report was jointly written by the Civil Association Foundation for Justice, Solidarity and Peace (Asociación Civil Fundación Justicia, Solidaridad y Paz - Funpaz); the Civil Association for a Diverse Venezuela (Asociación Civil Venezuela Diversa); the Human Rights Program and the RedDes Project at the Lisandro Alvarado University; the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Margarita; the Human Rights Centre at the Metropolitan University; the “Padre Luis María Olaso” Centre for Peace and Human Rights (Centro para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos “Padre Luis María Olaso”) at the Central University of Venezuela; the Inter-Institutional Human Rights Commission in the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Zulia, the School of Law at the Rafael Urdaneta University and the Human Rights Commission of the Zulia Bar Association; the Committee of Relatives of the Victims of the Events of February-March 1989 (Comité de Familiares de las Victimas de los Sucesos de Febrero-Marzo de 1989 - COFAVIC), Nueva Esparta in Motion (Nueva Esparta en Movimiento); the Venezuelan Observatory for the Human Rights of Women (Observatorio Venezolano de los Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres); and the Human Rights Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Caracas (Vicaría de Derechos Humanos de la Arquidiócesis de Caracas); with the support and cooperation of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).

[2] See alternative report on CAT website.

Properties

Date: November 5, 2014
Activity: Monitoring Protection Mechanisms
Type: Reports and Publications
Country: Venezuela
Subjects: Arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, Threats, intimidation and harassment, Torture and violence

Attachments

  • Alternative Report Venezuela_UNCAT (English)
    34 pages / 444 KB

  • Comunicado Venezuela_0511
    2 pages / 419 KB

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  • Venezuela:  Conclusions after the follow-up mission to Venezuela: "Some positive steps have been taken but hurdles remain impeding effective progress in the prevention and punishment of torture in the country"
    Statements / October 19, 2015
  • Venezuela:  UN Committee Against Torture (CAT): Contribution to the List of Issues of the Periodic Report of Venezuela
    Reports and Publications / February 18, 2014

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