The Public Ministry (MP) issued an arrest warrant against the mayor of El Tigre (Anzoátegui), Ernesto Paraqueima, for his expressions of discrimination against people on the autism spectrum and Asperger syndrome.
“There is not a single vulnerable sector in El Tigre that has not been harassed and outraged. The straw that broke the camel’s back was attacking children with Asperger’s,” said the Attorney General of the Republic, Tarek William Saab, at a press conference held this Thursday.
This arrest warrant was requested by the alleged commission of promotion or incitement to hatred, provided for and sanctioned in article 20 of the Constitutional Law Against Hate for Peaceful Coexistence and Tolerance.
In addition, the generic aggravating factor of article 217 of the Organic Law for the Protection of Boys, Girls and Adolescents is added, in clear violation of Human Rights guarantees, the prosecutor specified.
For this reason, it appointed the 12th Prosecutor’s Office with competence in matters of Civil Protection, Family Institutions, Criminal Responsibility System for Adolescents and Ordinary Criminal, Child Victims, and Adolescents, to carry out the investigation.
That same day, a Special Commission of the National Assemblyheaded by the first vice president of parliament, deputy Pedro Infante, delivered the agreement to the attorney general in rejection of the “outrageous and intimidating” statements by mayor Paraqueima.
Said agreement was approved unanimously in the Venezuelan parliament in the ordinary session this Thursday.
Paraqueima attack and discrimination
On Wednesday, an audio from the mayor Paraqueima went viral on social networks in which he attacks and discriminates against boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder with offenses and harassment.
“Who painted that? Who painted that horrible thing? Who did that, who did that? little brother or sister, go paint that in Moitaco”, is heard in the viralized material.
“They tell me that it was the people of the Asperger children, who painted it? The children? What did they paint it with? With the legs? What did they paint it with? What did they try to do there? A landscape of what? What a horrible thing!” said the El Tigre official.
Paraqueima repeats the crime
The head of the MP denounced that the burgomaster “has dishonored his investiture”, and recalled that previously Paraqueima created a team that “applied the death penalty” against street people and animals without owners. “His actions have been terrifying,” he stressed.
In addition, in March of this year an investigation was opened against the mayor for another audio in which he made threats against merchants in the eastern city.
“By virtue of this, an investigation was initiated by the 61st National Prosecutor’s Office for promoting or inciting hatred, provided for and sanctioned in article 20 of the Constitutional Law Against Hate for Peaceful Coexistence and Tolerance,” added William Saab.
