IACHR grants precautionary measures in favor of Jorge Luis Graterol Guzmán in Venezuela

December 5, 2024

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 94/2024 on December 4, 2024, to grant precautionary measures in favor of Jorge Luis Graterol Guzmán in Venezuela, in the belief that he faces a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to his rights.

The party who requested these precautionary measures noted that the beneficiary is a teacher and a municipal coordinator of the opposition political party Vente Venezuela in the town of San José de Guaribe. During the process that led to the July 2024 elections, he campaigned and canvassed votes for Vente Venezuela. Following that, he started to receive threats and heard of State officials who had allegedly said "they would not rest until they'd seen him have his toenails pulled out."

The beneficiary was summoned to appear before the Forensic, Criminal, and Criminalistic Investigations Corps (CICPC) for allegations of terrorism. He was told that failing to show up might lead to fines or arrest. The party who requested these precautionary measures further alleged that Graterol Guzmán's family was also suffering constant threats and intimidation by officers of the State's law enforcement agencies, which had led the beneficiary to avoid public exposure.

The IACHR noted the State's failure to provide the information that had been requested and its failure to implement protection measures, which appear to leave the beneficiary defenseless and vulnerable in Venezuela's current context.

Consequently, in keeping with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR asked the State of Venezuela to take the following action:

(a) Adopt any measures necessary to protect Graterol Guzmán's rights to life and personal integrity

(b) Take any measures necessary to ensure that the beneficiary can continue to be involved in political activities without being subjected to threats, harassment, or any other acts of violence for his involvement: In particular, the State needs both to ensure that its officers will respect the beneficiary's rights and preserve his personal integrity—in compliance with the standards of international human rights law—and to protect those rights from dangerous acts that may be perpetrated by third parties. The State must also report on any criminal investigations conducted against the beneficiary, disclose any court orders in force against him, and grant him the appropriate judicial guarantees in the context of any investigations.

(c) Come to an agreement with the beneficiary and his representatives concerning any measures that need to be taken

(d) Report on any actions adopted to investigate the events that gave rise to the adoption of these precautionary measures, in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future

The fact that these precautionary measures have been granted and their adoption by the State do not entail a prejudgment on a potential petition that may be filed before the inter-American system to allege violations of rights protected by the applicable instruments.

The IACHR is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mandate is based on the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly who serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 308/24

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