IACHR Extends Precautionary Measures in Favor of Vivas Family in Venezuela

December 1, 2021

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 94/2021 on November 27, 2021, to extend precautionary measures in favor of the Vivas family in Venezuela, in the belief that its members face a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to their rights.

On October 27, 2017, the IACHR granted precautionary measures in favor of Mr. Ángel Omar Vivas Perdomo, who was deprived of liberty at the time. The Commission considered that Mr. Vivas remained at risk and that his wife and daughter faced similar risks since he was released.

The IACHR also took into consideration recent events that show that certain armed individuals—allegedly with ties to State officials—monitor the family's movements. Unidentified individuals are also believed to have had access to the family's home, and to have taken a photograph inside that they later sent to Mr. Vivas. On a different occasion, unidentified individuals broke into the Vivas family home and assaulted Mr. Vivas and his wife, causing them serious injuries. The beneficiaries' representatives said that attacks, harassment, and hounding targeting Mr. Vivas and his family have continued and have also affected his daughter.

The State has failed to provide information to refute these allegations or to show that these circumstances have been adequately mitigated.

Consequently, in keeping with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the Commission has asked the State of Venezuela to:

• Adopt all measures necessary to protect the beneficiaries' rights to life and personal integrity from dangerous acts that might be perpetrated by officers of the State or by third parties, in compliance with the standards of international human rights law
• Come to an agreement with beneficiaries and their representatives concerning any measures that need to be taken
• Report on any actions adopted to investigate the alleged events that gave rise to the adoption and extension of this precautionary measure, in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future

The Commission stresses that, in keeping with Article 25.8 of its Rules of Procedure, the fact that this precautionary measure has been granted and extended and its adoption by the State do not entail a prejudgment on violations of rights protected by the applicable instruments.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 321/21

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