IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author): “Information on the Congressional Human Rights Group Sub-Commission, chaired by Walter Marquez and Wladimir Villegas, which was set up after the Catia prison riot of November 1992 and on whether individuals or groups that appeared before this sub-commission were subsequently mistreated by the Dirección de Inteligencia Militar (DIM) because of information they provided to the sub-commission [VEN24755.E]”, Document #1159244

Information on the Congressional Human Rights Group Sub-Commission, chaired by Walter Marquez and Wladimir Villegas, which was set up after the Catia prison riot of November 1992 and on whether individuals or groups that appeared before this sub-commission were subsequently mistreated by the Dirección de Inteligencia Militar (DIM) because of information they provided to the sub-commission [VEN24755.E]

In a 10 September 1996 telephone interview with the DIRB, a lawyer at the Human Rights Commission of the Attorney General's Office (Fiscalía General de la República) in Caracas, familiar with the work of the Congressional Human Rights Group Sub-Commission, stated that she had no information on any attempts or abuses committed against individuals or groups who have testified before that committee regarding the Catia riot.

The attached February 1993 Andean Newsletter article mentions that on "February 4 [1993] the daily El Nacional published an article about police violence and violence carried out by Military Intelligence officials who tortured the detained, especially in the wake of Nov. 27 [1992]" (1993, 8).

No further information could be found on the above-mentioned subject among the sources consulted by the DIRB. For information on the Catia riot and the investigation that followed, please consult the attached exerpt of the October 1993 Americas Watch report on Human Rights in Venezuela.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Reference

Attorney General's Office, Human Rights Commission, Caracas. 10 September 1996. telephone interview with a lawyer.

Attachments

Americas Watch. October 1993. Human Rights in Venezuela. New York: Human Rights Watch, pp. 74-83, 104-106.

Andean Newsletter. 24 October 1994. No. 95.. "Venezuela: Against Police Impunity," n.p.

_____. 22 February 1992. No. 75. "Venezuela: Amnesty International Visit Makes Government Uncomfortable," pp. 7-8.

Additional Sources Consulted

Amnesty International. Annual Report 1993.

Amnest International. November 1993. Venezuela: The Eclipse of Human Rights.

Amnesty International. Urgent Action. 1992-1993.

Country Files. 1992-1995.

Human Rights Watch. Annual Report 1993.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1992-1993.

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 1992-1993.

Provea. Situación de los Derechos Humanos en Venezuela. Informe Anual. September 1992-October 1993.

Oral sources.

ecoi.net description:: Information on the Congressional Human Rights Group Sub-Commission, chaired by Walter Marquez and Wladimir Villegas, which was set up after the Catia prison riot of November 1992 and on whether individuals or groups that appeared before this sub-commission were subsequently mistreated by the Dirección de Inteligencia Militar (DIM) because of information they provided to the sub-commission [VEN24755.E]
Country:: Venezuela
Source:: IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
Document type:: Response
Language:: English
Published:: 20 September 1996
Document ID:: 1159244 (former ID 198766)