The Public Ministry reported on the arrest of the mayor of the municipality Simón Rodríguez (El Tigre), Anzoátegui, Ernesto Paraqueima (Democratic Alliance).
Paraqueima’s arrest comes after the National Assembly approved an agreement rejecting “outrageous and discriminatory statements against children on the autism spectrum.”
The then mayor said through an audio “what a horrible thing, so frightening”, alluding to a mural painted by autistic children in a group home located in El Tigre. Even Paraqueima ordered to erase the painting.
In the agreement, the parliamentarians request the Republican Moral Council to open an investigation against Paraqueima. In the middle of the session, the NA plenary appointed a special commission to meet with the attorney general, Tarek William, and urge him to launch an investigation.
Upon receiving the commission, Saab reported that his office processed an arrest warrant against Paraqueima that was subsequently executed by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin).
Saab published a photo on his social networks where Paraqueima is seen handcuffed and holding a Sebin identification card.
The head of the Public Ministry indicated that the now former mayor of El Tigre has two open files, one of them as a result of a complaint made by Antonieta Betancourt who accused him of having closed his premises.
The other investigation was opened ex officio by the Public Ministry last Tuesday as a result of threats made by the now former mayor against merchants settled in El Tigre.
“We are going to put a social crushing… don’t mess with me, remember that you are messing with a guy who doesn’t care about life,” Paraqueima would have said in broadcast messages.
Based on this, Paraqueima will be charged with “crimes that incite hatred against our children with autistic disorder,” among others.
