The IACHR considers that these seven trade unionists have suffered repeated threats, harassment, and surveillance by State agents for participating in the demonstrations, including directly by the deputy director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin).
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued on April 1, 2023 the resolution 15/2023through which it granted precautionary measures in favor of seven Venezuelan union leaders, after identifying that they are at risk of irreparable damage to their rights.
According to the requesting party, these trade unionists have played a leading role in calling demonstrations since 2022, within the framework of disagreement with the approval of a technical instruction by the National Budget Office (Onapre) that, among other things, would have established the cut in salary payments and disapplied collective agreements.
The beneficiaries of these measures are Anneliese Toledo Castillo, Carlos Salazar Ojeda, Elsa Castillo, José Patines Guanique, Leída Rosa Brito, Petra Monasterios and Rafael Arreaza Padilla, who belong to the National Workers Union Coalition (CSNT).
As reported, these people have suffered repeated threats, harassment and surveillance by State agents for participating in the demonstrations, including directly by the deputy director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin).
They are watched when they move and in the places they live, even their relatives have been subjected to intimidation.
The IACHR considered that these seven trade unionists remain at risk and it is possible that it will increase, in the current context of the country. Therefore, the Venezuelan State was requested to:
- Adopt the necessary measures to protect the rights to life and personal integrity of these people;
- Adopt the protection measures that are necessary so that these people can continue carrying out their union leadership activities without being subjected to threats, intimidation, harassment or acts of violence;
- Arrange the measures to be implemented with the beneficiaries and their representatives; and
- Report on the actions carried out in order to investigate the alleged facts that gave rise to the adoption of this resolution and thus avoid their repetition.
The IACHR recalled that these measures do not constitute a prejudgment to a petition “that may eventually be filed before the inter-American system regarding a possible violation of the rights protected in the applicable instruments.”
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