Ordinary justice urged to reopen investigation into El Amparo case

Human rights organizations requested on Tuesday to punish once and for all the perpetrators and masterminds, "accomplices and accessories" of the killings known as El Amparo massacre.

Marino Alvarado, the director of NGO Provea talked about his plans to appear on Wednesday at the Attorney General Office, together with the two survivors, in order to ask Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz to reopen the investigation under the ordinary jurisdiction.

According to the Provea director, murderers have been fully identified, including 16 police and military officers.

Alvarado named also Henry López Sisco, former official of the Directorate for Intelligence, Security and Prevention (Disip), and Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, the current minister of the Interior and Justice. Based on the case file information, both of them presumably planned the massacre.

On October 29th, 1988, 14 people were shot dead at La Colorada stream, El Amparo, western Apure state.

Military courts and the Supreme Court of Justice resolved that the defendants were not responsible for the events. Afterwards, the investigation was closed.

However, the case was taken to the Inter-American Court on Human Rights. The court issued a judgment on behalf of the victims' relatives, and requested compensation from the Venezuelan state as well as an investigation.

Defendants allege that the victims were guerilla members, but human rights organizations are certain that they were fishermen.

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