IACHR grants precautionary measures in favor of Carlos Marcelino Chancellor Ferrer in Venezuela

March 4, 2025

Washington, DC – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 21/2025 on February 28, 2025, to grant precautionary measures in favor of Carlos Marcelino Chancellor Ferrer in Venezuela, in the belief that he faces a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to his rights to life, personal integrity, and health.

According to the request for these precautionary measures, the beneficiary, aged 65, is an opposition politician as well as a former mayor of the Sifontes municipality, in the state of Bolívar. He has reportedly been deprived of liberty since August 6, 2024, in the aftermath of Venezuela's most recent presidential election. To date, he has reportedly had no access to medical care despite having various chronic health issues.

After assessing the legal and factual allegations put forward by the party who requested these precautionary measures, the IACHR considers that the circumstances in which the beneficiary was arrested might entail risks to his health, life, and personal integrity. The IACHR also took into consideration the fact that the beneficiary is an older person, that he has pre-existing health issues, and that he is deprived of liberty in Venezuela's current context. Further, the beneficiary's State-appointed public defender is allegedly failing to provide sufficient details about Chancellor Ferrer's situation, which is allegedly preventing his family from taking action to defend and protect him. The State failed to provide information to the IACHR on this issue.

Given these circumstances, the IACHR considers that Chancellor Ferrer faces serious, urgent risks. 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 Chancellor Ferrer's rights to life, personal integrity, and health
2. Take all measures necessary to ensure that the beneficiary's conditions of detention reflect the applicable international standards, including the following:
   1. Immediately conducting a comprehensive medical examination of his current health condition and ensuring that he has access to the medical care he needs
   2. Facilitating contact with the beneficiary's trusted legal counsel and granting this professional access to Chancellor Ferrer's criminal case file
   3. Informing the beneficiary's representatives of the reasons why he is still deprived of liberty and of any court decisions concerning him
3. Come to an agreement with the beneficiary and his 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 of Venezuela 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. 047/25

5:30 PM