IACHR grants precautionary measures in favor of Víctor Manuel Borjas and Manuel Alejandro Muñoz in Venezuela

January 27, 2025

Washington, DC – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 8/2025 on January 26, 2025, to grant precautionary measures in favor of Víctor Manuel Borjas Albornoz and Manuel Alejandro Muñoz Camacho in Venezuela, in the belief that they face a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to their rights to life and personal integrity.

The party who requested these precautionary measures noted that both beneficiaries are political activists and human rights defenders. On January 9, 2025, they were arrested by State law enforcement officers, in a context of demonstrations on a national scale. Since they were arrested, their whereabouts have remained unknown and they have had no contact with their families and legal representatives. The State failed to provide information to the IACHR on this issue.

After assessing the legal and factual allegations, the IACHR considers that the beneficiaries are at risk, and that the risks they face might become increasingly harmful for their rights. This is particularly the case considering that the two men's whereabouts are unknown and that the State has not provided any information about the measures that might have been taken to mitigate the risks they face or about any measures taken to establish their whereabouts. Consequently, in keeping with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR asked the State of Venezuela to take the following action:

1. Adopt any measures necessary to protect the rights to life and personal integrity of Borjas Albornoz and Muñoz Camacho (in particular, the State should officially report on whether they are in State custody—and, if so, provide the details of their arrests—or on any measures taken to establish their fate or whereabouts)
2. Take all measures necessary to ensure that the beneficiaries' conditions of detention reflect the applicable international standards, including the following:
   1. Enabling regular access to and contact with their families, lawyers, and other representatives
   2. Officially reporting on the beneficiaries' legal status in the context of the criminal law proceedings they are being subjected to, including the reasons why they have not been released to date and whether they have been taken before court so their arrests may be reviewed
3. Come to an agreement with the beneficiaries and their representatives concerning any measures that need to be taken
4. Report on any actions adopted to investigate the alleged 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 American Convention on Human Rights and other 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. 025/25

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