Amnesty International calls on the Venezuelan authorities clarify the whereabouts and guarantee the integrity of two Yanomami indigenous who disappeared after the violent events that occurred on Sunday, March 20, in Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas state.
That day, officials of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces murdered four members of that ethnic group in an alleged confrontation. The events occurred in the Parima B sector of the Alto Orinoco after the military refused to return an Internet router that the community had loaned them.
Would constitute an enforced disappearance
One of the disappeared is 16 years old and the situation could constitute an enforced disappearancethe organization warned.
Indian, through a statement, that Borges Sifontes, a 16-year-old adolescent, was identified among the injured people. He was transferred to the José Gregorio Hernández Hospital in Puerto Ayacucho to receive medical attention. He was with his brother Gabriel Silva, 19who also witnessed the events.
Both are currently key witnesses in the criminal investigation announced by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
On April 1, alleged officials from the Ministry for Indigenous Affairs tried to remove them from the medical center, without the knowledge of their legal representative, Olnar Ortiz, a member of the Penal Forum, but they were unable to do so.
Irregular transfer
Amnesty International noted that two days later, on April 3, the transfer of the indigenous people took place and in an irregular manner. The brothers were transferred in an aircraft that would belong to the air transport group number 9 of the Aviation.
Military personnel in the area informed Ortiz that the citizens were first taken to the city of Maracay, in Aragua state. Subsequently, to the Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital, in Caracas, by land. The organization, however, stated that to date the reason for these transfers and the whereabouts of the brothers are unknown.
“(This situation) subjects them to enforced disappearance, a crime under international law. Such a circumstance puts the young Yanomami in a very high vulnerability.. Furthermore, the wounded adolescent does not know the Spanish language and can only communicate in his ancestral language, which aggravates his situation of vulnerability”, he denounced.
“Therefore, we make an urgent call to the Venezuelan authorities to guarantee the life, integrity and freedom of both young Yanomani and, in particular, that their whereabouts, legal situation and reason for transfer be made public; and, likewise, that such circumstance be made known to the Penal Forum and its representative so that they accompany them in their legal representation », he said.
unrestricted freedom
It also requested that the right to the freedom of the brothers and that they are not arbitrarily restricted during the investigation carried out by the Public Ministry. In addition, that it is guaranteed that the situation in which they find themselves and the treatment received is adequate and culturally relevant.
Amnesty International finally demands that Foro Penal and other legal representatives be allowed regular and frequent access to the actions of the Public Ministry. And that a civil authority promptly, impartially and effectively investigate the events of March 20, excluding military instances.
1- #FANB do not have the conditions to interact/live with indigenous communities, much less with the #yanomami. #FANB belong to a society with values/codes that #yanomami do not understand. #yanomami and #Sanema they deserve to interact with people who understand and respect their cultures. pic.twitter.com/pbc9CuQHFh
— SOS Orinoco (@SOSOrinoco) March 23, 2022
