Political persecution in Venezuela: case of mayor Lares Sánchez and his son reaches the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

10-08-2022

Patricio Trincado Vera

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

On the last 6th of July, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights submitted the case of mayor Omar Adolfo Lares Sánchez and his son Juan Pedro Lares Rángel against Venezuela to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. In July of 2017 the Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional, the Venezuelan national intelligence service, detained Juan Lares in his home without a judicial order. He was beaten and threatened in order to obtain information regarding the location of his father Omar. Juan’s whereabouts were unknown to this family until August of 2017, and he remained in detention until June 2018. During this time, he endured violations to his right to health and adequate food, as well as the denial of his lawyer’s visits. 

In its Merits Report, the Commission determined that Venezuela violated the right to liberty of Juan Lares, since the aforementioned facts constitute unlawful and arbitrary detention, due to the lack of a judicial order. The State also incurred an enforced disappearance, since the whereabouts of the victim were unknown. Venezuela also violated the rights to a Fair Trial and to Judicial Protection, because the authorities did not initiate an investigation about the torture allegations. The Commission also considered that Venezuela violated the right to inviolability of the home when entering the Lares residence to detain Juan, as well as the right to personal integrity of Lares’ family. Finally, the Commission determined the violation of political rights and freedom of movement of Omar Lares.

It is the task of the Inter-American Court to determine whether Venezuela is responsible for the violations of the rights of Lares and his son. Venezuela denounced the American Convention on Human Rights in 2013, however in 2019 the National Assembly approved its reincorporation to the Inter-American Court’s jurisdiction. 

Sources and Further Reading: 

Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (2022, August 5). CIDH presenta ante Corte IDH caso de Venezuela sobre violación de derechos políticos, privación ilegal de libertad y desaparición forzada. Inter-American Commission of Human Rights Press releases. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from http://www.oas.org/es/CIDH/jsForm/?File=/es/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2022/176.asp

CEPAZ (2019, May 30). Reingreso de Venezuela a la jurisdicción de Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. CEPAZ. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from https://cepaz.org/articulos/reingreso-de-venezuela-a-la-jurisdiccion-de-corte-interamericana-de-derechos-humanos/