• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: VENEZUELAN DEFENDERS FACE CRIMINALIZATION (Venezuela: UA 47.22)

May 23, 2022

On May 16, 2022, recognized Venezuelan human rights defenders Marino Alvarado and Alfredo Infante received notification of a defamation lawsuit filed against them by the governor of Carabobo state, Rafael Lacava. The lawsuit comes as a response to a report published in March by the NGOs Alvarado and Infant belong to, Provea and Centro Gumilla respectively, which exposes possible extrajudicial executions in Carabobo state and the lack of accountability enforced by the governor. This attack from the governor against Marino Alvarado and Alfredo Infante must end immediately, dropping the lawsuit and ensuring a safe working environment for human rights defenders.

TAKE ACTION:

  1. Please take action as-soon-as possible. This Urgent Action expires on July 15, 2022.
  2. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  3. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 47.22. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Governor of Carabobo state, Rafael Lacava Calle Colombia c/c Montes De Oca, Casa Alvarado, Capitolio de Valencia, Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela Email: [email protected] Twitter: @rafaellacava10
H.E. Joaquin A. Perez Ayestaran Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations 335 East 46th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 Phone: 212 557 2055 / Fax: 212 557 3528 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ONUVENuevaYork , @japerezve Salutation: Dear Ambassador
SAMPLE LETTER Dear governor Rafael Lacava, I write to you to raise my voice in support of Marino Alvarado and Alfredo Infante, two invaluable human rights defenders whom you have filed a lawsuit against for exposing and condemning potential extrajudicial executions by members of your state’s police force and demanding chain of command accountability. To target human rights defenders with criminal action for exercising their right to defend human rights is against international human rights law, as well as repeated recommendations by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN special procedures, and other human rights bodies. Human rights defenders should be protected, not attacked, specially when bravely facing threats to their integrity, work and life for exposing grave human rights violations and demanding the highest standards of justice for victims. We call on you to drop the lawsuit against Marino Alvarado and Alfredo Infante, refrain from blocking efforts to achieve chain of command accountability for grave human rights violations committed in your state, and protect human rights defenders. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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