Politics
September 14

Bishops voice "escalation" of personal coercion measures
The Venezuelan Bishops' Conference (CEV) reported on Monday, September 14 that the recent measures adopted by courts in Venezuela to arrest people who have participated in opposition protests and demonstrations may suggest that there is an "escalation" in the implementation of personal coercion measures.

Monsignor Roberto Lückert read out a statement containing the bishop's position. The CEV also rejected the use of criminal prisons such as El Rodeo, Yare, La Planta, among others, to jail indicted persons who have taken part in demonstrations. According to the Bishops' Conference, in those prisons "there are no differences between indicted and convicted people and there are no assurances for respect for physical integrity and the life of detainees."

The bishops consider that the use of high security prisons, which are "notably unsafe," to detain demonstrators is apparently due to an "obvious zeal" to set a precedent to terrorize the population.

September 16

Foro Penal files charges against Venezuela at the ICC
Alfredo Romero, a human rights activist and member of the NGO Foro Penal Venezolano, announced on Wednesday, September 16 that the civil rights group will denounce the Venezuelan government before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for political persecution of people who dissent from the revolutionary project.

"We are suffering in Venezuela a scheme that we will denounce before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, as part of the case file on political persecution through the judicial system which was opened in 2004. All those people who are involved in this persecution system will be denounced by our NGO, Romero said at a news conference.

He said that the group "expects" that the Judiciary allows them to visit Julio Rivas, a student leader of the central state of Carabobo, who was arrested and sent to a high security prison for allegedly being involved in violent actions during a march against the new education law.

September 17

Another opposition leader applies for political asylum
On Thursday, September 17 political leader Oscar Pérez, a member of the board of opposition Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) party, formally requested asylum at the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There, he claimed to be persecuted for political reasons by the administration of Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez and representatives of the public powers, particularly Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz.

On August 27th, Judge Leidys Azuaje issued a bench warrant against the leader.

He is facing charges for solicitation to crime and scheming, following a march against the recently enacted education law that was held on Saturday 22nd, in Caracas. The demonstration, organized by Pérez, among others, was brutally repressed by police and National Guard officers.

Caracas Prefect Richard Blanco and student leader Julio César Rivas are behind bars for this same case.

September 18

Venezuelan delegation denounces in Parlasur "bomb against democracy"
The situation of political prisoners in Venezuela, the criminalization of protests and the attacks against freedom of expression were part of a 60-page report that a Venezuelan delegation submitted to some members of the Commission on Citizenship and Human Rights of the Common Market of the South (Parlasur) in Buenos Aires.

During an hour and a half, three legislators of Mercosur, led by the President of the Commission, Mirtha Palacios (Liberal Party), a Paraguayan member of Parlasur, listened carefully to the statements made by Freddy Guevara (Un Nuevo Tiempo), a former student leader and Caracas town councilor; Silvia Alegrett, of the Venezuelan Journalists' Association (CNP); Marco Ruiz, of the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) and Rafael Cadavieco and Andreína Márquez, of NGO Somos Radio.

Guevara depicted the situation in Venezuela as the "building of a bomb against democracy," when he referred to the alleged systematic violation of human rights in the country. He mentioned, among other cases, the arrests of José "Maraco" Dacre; Caracas Prefect Richard Blanco, and university student Julio César Rivas.

Tense meeting
The meeting with Parlatino legislators was initially held in strained conditions, because Desirée Santos Amaral and Carlos Escarrá, two members of the Venezuelan National Assembly, appeared unexpectedly. Both legislators were present throughout the presentation against the Venezuelan government. However, there were no disputes.

After its presentation, the Venezuelan delegation left the room and the two pro-government legislators remained in the hall with Parlatino parliamentarians refuting the allegations formerly made. This meeting went for about 45 minutes.

The complainants seized the opportunity to invite the Parlasur Commission to visit Venezuela, in order to assess the situation of human rights.

Metropolitan mayor counts 50 political prisoners in Venezuela
Caracas Metropolitan Mayor Antonio Ledezma said on Friday, September 18 that there are already "about 50 political prisoners" in Venezuela. Therefore, he urged his fellow citizens to denounce this situation in Venezuela and elsewhere.

The mayor said that people must not limit themselves to expressing their solidarity. Among the "political prisoners" he included students, military officers, businessmen, journalists and politicians "who are persecuted."

"Venezuela wants peace, dialogue and justice to chase criminals instead of cracking down on decent, honest and hardworking people."

The mayor said that the decision of political leader Oscar Pérez to request political asylum in Peru is like a "life insurance," because the leader "had been sought, rather to put him in jail, to finish him off."