Of the 60 victims left by the violence in Petare so far in 2022, 30 of these people died at the hands of police officers; in 16 cases there were presumed extrajudicial executions and 10 were documented with the motive of “resisting authority”. The authorities have not commented on the latest operation to capture members of the gangs of aliases “Wilexis” and Los Chicorrios
Carlos Ramirez
Relatives of six men who died during a mixed police operation carried out in the José Félix Ribas neighborhood and other areas of the Petare parish (Miranda state), between Tuesday, September 27 and Wednesday, September 28, assured that they were actually executed by the agencies of security. In total, at least 11 deaths are known who, according to the authorities, “confronted” police officials.
Among the deceased, the story of José Luis Vásquez, 28, a natural fisherman from Punta Cazonera, a town near Manzanillo, on the island of Margarita, stands out. The young man traveled to Petare last week for his daughter’s birthday, which they would celebrate at his grandparents’ house, in the José Félix Ribas neighborhood.
“The family party was last Thursday, September 22. That day, she made him a cake, then she stayed here for a few days before returning, ”said her sister, who asked not to be identified.
“The morning of September 28, José Luis was at home and came out with a sandwich and a juice in his hands. He was shirtless and in shorts, because he was going to a warehouse in front of the house and would return. And just at that moment, the policemen passed by and shot him. He asked that they not kill him, that he was not a thug and they took him away. Then they informed us that he had died, ”said her sister.
He also assured that the fisherman “had nothing to do with gangs, he had spent a week in Petare. I don’t understand why they killed him. The worst thing is that they are not going to let us watch over him, because they presented him as a criminal and he was a fisherman who had no problems with anyone”.
Also in operation At least 22 people were arrested requested by police agencies or who presented arrest warrants. In addition, 10 firearms were seized. The Bolivarian National Police (PNB), the Contra Gangs and Homicide directorates of the Cicpc, the National Anti-extortion and Kidnapping Command (Conas) of the National Guard, the Miranda State Police and Polisucre, who were behind the alias gangs, participated. Wilexis” and Los Chicorrios.
*Also read: Lupa por la Vida recorded 67 extrajudicial executions during the first half of 2022
None of the victims have been identified by authorities. Information, minutes or an official statement on the operations by the Ministry of the Interior, Justice and Peace were not published either.
Relatives of Jackson González (24) recalled that although he did not have a permanent job, “he was always doing something to get by. He helped the neighbors, worked as a laborer, whatever came out, ”his aunt Francis Toro told # MonitorDeVíctimas.
“Jackson was killed on Tuesday. He was sitting in the entrance of his house, in the La Matica sector of Maca, when the police arrived and took him away, along with two other boys, including a minor. They rouleted them all night,” said Toro.
His partner, Nakarid Pérez, said that at 3:00 in the morning he heard some screaming. “They had him in a nearby house. He was calling me, I heard noises, screams, and shots (…) Then, he called for help. He said not to let him die because he had three children, and I didn’t hear anything else. They put them in a yellow truck and took them away.”
Along with Jackson, Andrés Alcides Echezuría Cardozo, 29, who left a 6-year-old son orphaned, was also murdered.
His father, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, said his son lived in Maca. “The event occurred in the La Matica sector of Maca Este. They were caught at 9:00 at night and rouletteted all night, in a yellow truck, Toyota, Autana. At 3:30 in the morning, the policemen executed him in La Venecia alley.”
I had nothing to fear
The story of merchant Jesús Manuel Gómez Hernández, 22, who was arrested in La Dolorita, is similar.
Gómez Hernández was sleeping next to his wife at 8:30 in the morning. “It was when we began to hear blows,” said his partner. Jesús Manuel got up and looked out the window, saw that they were pointing at him and they yelled at him to raise his hands. I opened the door, I asked the policemen to be careful, because there were three girls and a baby in the house. We had nothing to fear.”
“The police entered the house and put me in a room with the girls. They left him in another room. They took me and the girls out. We were walking down a hallway when a police officer fired shots and began calling for support. He said that he was in a shooting and it was a lie. I was there when they fired into the sky, but on the radio they said they needed backup. They set up a whole theater”, said the woman.
“I tried to go to the house to see how Jesus was doing and they wouldn’t let me in. She was distraught. The same policemen told me not to worry, that everything was fine, but they had already killed him.”
In Jesús Manuel’s house they left some gloves and a hole in the wall, according to his wife. “Everything was cleaned. They took my phone, money that they had paid us the night before, and they wanted to take my motorcycle, the one I use for work and which I bought with all my effort and work.”
Police protagonists of the violence in Petare
According to data compiled by the Victims Monitor team, from May 2017 to August 2022, in Petare, at least 897 people were murdered, and 349 of them died at the hands of police and military officials.
Of the 60 victims left by the violence in Petare so far in 2022, 30 of these people died at the hands of police officers; in 16 cases there were alleged extrajudicial executions and 10 were documented with the motive of “resisting authority”.
Another 4 homicides were two that were caught in the line of fire, one due to gender violence and another in which the cause of death is yet to be determined.
*Also read: Relatives denounce executions during police operation in the Valles del Tuy
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