CASE of the BARRIOS FAMILY V. VENEZUELA
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INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CASE OF THE BARRIOS FAMILY v. VENEZUELA JUDGMENT OF NOVEMBER 24, 2011 (Merits, reparations and costs) In the case of the Barrios Family, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Court” or “the Court”), composed of the following judges: Diego García-Sayán, President Leonardo A. Franco, Vice President Manuel E. Ventura Robles, Judge Margarette May Macaulay, Judge Rhadys Abreu Blondet, Judge Alberto Pérez Pérez, Judge, and Eduardo Vio Grossi, Judge; also present, Pablo Saavedra-Alessandri, Secretary, and Emilia Segares Rodríguez, Deputy Secretary, in accordance with Articles 62(3) and 63(1) of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the American Convention” or “the Convention”) and Articles 31, 32, 41, 65 and 67 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court1 (hereinafter “the Rules of Procedure”), issues this Judgment. 1 Rules of Procedure of the Court approved by the Court at its eighty-fifth regular session held from November 16 to 28, 2009, which, in accordance with its Article 78, entered into force on January 1, 2010. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Contents Paragraphs I. INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE 1 II. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT 7 III. COMPETENCE 10 IV. PROVISIONAL MEASURES 11 V. EVIDENCE 12 A. Documentary, testimonial and expert evidence 13 B. Admission of the documentary evidence 15 C. Admission of the statements of the alleged victims and the testimonial and expert evidence 19 VI. PRIOR CONSIDERATIONS 30 A. Discontinuance of two members of the family 30 B. Facts alleged by the representatives – factual framework 32 VII. RIGHTS TO LIFE, PERSONAL INTEGRITY, PERSONAL LIBERTY, AND RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT AND GUARANTEE RIGHTS 36 A. Introduction 36 B. Context 38 C. General considerations of the Court 45 D. Obligation to respect rights 57 1. Rights to life, personal integrity and personal liberty of Benito Antonio Barrios and Narciso Barrios 57 2. Rights to personal integrity and personal liberty of Jesús Ravelo Gustavo Ravelo, Luisa del Carmen Barrios, Elbira Barrios, Jorge Antonio Barrios Ortuño, Rigoberto Barrios and Oscar José Barrios, and rights of the child of Jorge Antonio Barrios Ortuño, Rigoberto Barrios and Oscar José Barrios 69 3. Rights to life and personal integrity, and rights of the child of Rigoberto Barrios 86 E. Obligation to prevent violations and to guarantee rights 98 1. Rights to life of Luis Alberto Barrios, Oscar José Barrios, Wilmer José Flores Barrios and Juan José Barrios, and to personal integrity of Néstor Caudi Barrios 98 VIII. RIGHTS TO PRIVACY AND PROPERTY 134 A. Arguments of the parties 134 B. Facts 137 C. Considerations of the Court 139 1. Interference in the family home 140 2. Right to private property 148 2 IX. RIGHTS TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND RESIDENCE, PROTECTION OF THE FAMILY, AND RIGHTS OF THE CHILD 152 A. Arguments of the parties 152 B. Facts 156 C. Considerations of the Court 162 1. Freedom of movement and residence 162 2. Protection of the family 169 X. RIGHTS TO JUDICIAL GUARANTEES AND TO JUDICIAL PROTECTION IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT AND GUARANTEE RIGHTS 172 A. General considerations of the Court 173 B. Arguments of the parties 182 C. Facts 192 1. Investigation of the death of Benito Antonio Barrios 192 2. Investigation of the searches, destruction and theft at the homes of Justina Barrios, Elbira Barrios, Brígida Oneyda Barrios, and Orismar Carolina Alzul García and Luis Alberto Barrios 199 3. Investigation of the death of Narciso Barrios and the threats Against Néstor Caudi Barrios 205 4. Investigation of the detention of Rigoberto Barrios and Jorge Antonio Barrios Ortuño 213 5. Investigation of the deprivation of liberty of Luisa del Carmen Barrios, Gustavo Ravelo, Jesús Ravelo, Elbira Barrios, Oscar José Barrios and Jorge Antonio Barrios Ortuño, and the threats and injuries they suffered 216 6. Investigation of the death of Luis Alberto Barrios 220 7. Investigation of the attempt on the life of Rigoberto Barrios and his subsequent death 224 D. General considerations of the Court regarding the investigations 233 E. Specific considerations of the Court regarding the investigations 241 1. Investigation of the death of Benito Antonio Barrios 241 2. Investigation of the searches, destruction and theft at the homes of Justina Barrios, Elbira Barrios, Brígida Oneyda Barrios, Orismar Carolina Alzul García and Luis Alberto Barrios 246 3. Investigation of the death of Narciso Barrios and the threats against Néstor Caudi Barrios 250 4. Investigation of the detention of Rigoberto Barrios and Jorge Antonio Barrios Ortuño 257 5. Investigation of the deprivation of liberty of Luisa del Carmen Barrios, Gustavo Ravelo, Jesús Ravelo, Elbira Barrios, Oscar José Barrios and Jorge Antonio Barrios Ortuño, and the threats and injuries they suffered 261 6. Investigation of the death of Luis Alberto Barrios 264 7. Investigation of the attempt on the life of Rigoberto Barrios and his subsequent death 267 F. Considerations on reasonable time 273 G. Investigation of the deaths of Oscar José Barrios, Wilmer José Flores Barrios and Juan José Barrios, and the attempt on the life of Néstor Caudi Barrios 286 H. Right to the truth 290 I. General conclusion of the Court on judicial guarantees and protection 292 3 XI. RIGHT TO PERSONAL INTEGRITY OF THE NEXT OF KIN IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT RIGHTS 294 A. Arguments of the parties 294 B. Considerations of the Court 301 Consideration of the facts previously analyzed 313 XII. REPARATIONS 315 A. Injured party 318 B. Obligation to investigate the facts 319 C. Measures of integral reparation: restitution, rehabilitation and satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition 326 1. Rehabilitation 328 i. Medical and psychological treatment for the victims 328 2. Satisfaction 331 i. Publication of the judgment 331 ii. Public act in acknowledgement of international responsibility 333 iii. Scholarships 335 3. Guarantees of non-repetition 337 i. Training programs for officials 337 4. Other measures of reparation requested 344 i. Adaptation of domestic law concerning the lethal use of force 344 ii. Adaptation of the law on the protection of victims and witnesses 347 iii. Identification of the source of danger 349 iv. Creation of an accessible public record of detainees 352 v. Creation of a procedure for compiling statistics 354 D. Compensation 359 1. Pecuniary damage 359 2. Non-pecuniary damage 374 E. Costs and expenses 379 F. Reimbursement of expenses to the Victims’ Legal Assistance Fund 384 G. Means of complying with the payments ordered 387 XII. OPERATIVE PARAGRAPHS 393 4 I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND THE PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE 1. On July 26, 2010, pursuant to the provisions of Articles 51 and 61 of the American Convention and Article 35 of the Court’s Rules of Procedure, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Commission” or “the Commission”) submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court the case of the Barrios family against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter “the State” or “Venezuela”). The case originated from two petitions presented on March 16, 2004, and December 30, 2005, by Eloisa Barrios, Luis Aguilera, as Director of the Human Rights Commission for Justice and Peace of Aragua state, and the Center for Justice and International Law (hereinafter “Justice and Peace Commission” or “Aragua Commission” and “CEJIL,” respectively). On February 25, 2005, the Commission adopted Report on Admissibility No. 23/05 regarding the petition of March 16, 2004,2 and on January 17, 2009, Report on Admissibility No. 01/09 regarding the petition of December 30, 2005.3 Subsequently, on January 7, 2010, the Commission joindered the processing of both cases, and on March 16, 2010, it approved Report on Merits No. 11/10 (hereinafter “the Merits Report”) under Article 50 of the Convention. In this report, it made a series of recommendations to the State.4 Venezuela was notified of the report on April 26, 2010, and granted two months to provide information on compliance with the recommendations. In view of the State’s failure to present any information, the Commission decided to submit this case to the Court’s jurisdiction. The Commission appointed Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Commissioner, and its Executive Secretary, Santiago A. Canton, as delegates, and its Deputy Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, and Silvia Serrano Guzmán, lawyer of the Executive Secretariat, as legal advisers. 2. As indicated by the Inter-American Commission, this case refers to the alleged international responsibility of the State for the “need to obtain justice of the Barrios family, which has [allegedly] been subjected to grave harassment by the Police of Aragua state […]. As part of this persecution, five members of the Barrios family have lost their life and several of them have been detained and subjected to illegal and arbitrary searches of their homes, suffered threats against their life and personal integrity, and been forced to move from their place of residence.” The Commission also indicated that the alleged human rights violations also affected children, and they remain in impunity. In addition, it underlined that the facts of this case “were part of a more general context of extrajudicial executions in Venezuela.” It also stressed that “most of the incidents that violated the life and personal integrity of the [alleged] victims took place after the organs of the inter-American system had requested protection for the Barrios family by the mechanisms of precautionary measures or provisional measures.” Nevertheless, it indicated that the State had not implemented effective measures of protection, so that “the Barrios family is still in the situation of risk and lack of protection that promoted the [alleged] human rights violations against them.” 2 In Report on Admissibility No.