URGENT ACTION

PARLIAMENTARIAN DISAPPEARED IN VENEZUELA
On 26 April 2019, intelligence officers took Venezuelan opposition member of parliament Gilber Caro at a restaurant in Caracas, according to reports. His fate and whereabouts have been unknown since. Gilber Caro was arbitrarily detained from January 2017 until June 2018, under unfounded accusations of treason and stealing military equipment. His detention and disappearance in April 2019 are arbitrary since it reverses the freedom he was granted in June under political motives. We call on the Director of the Bolivian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) to swiftly provide information on Gilber Caro’s fate and whereabouts and to release him immediately.

TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER

Mr. Gustavo González López
Director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN)
Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional
Torre Corporativa Metro de Caracas
Avenida Casanova, Plaza Venezuela
Caracas 1050, Venezuela
Twitter: @SEBIN_OFICIAL 

Dear Director,

I am alarmed by the reports of the disappearance of member of parliament Gilber Caro on 26 April after Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) officers allegedly took him in a restaurant in Caracas. Gilber Caro’s lawyers have since tried to find him in all detention centres without receiving an official response on his fate or whereabouts. The SEBIN must disclose information on Gilber Caro’s fate and whereabouts and release him immediately.

I express my dismay for such a concerning situation to happen in your country and, as the authority in charge of ensuring the integrity and rights of anyone under SEBIN custody, I urge you to immediately inform on Gilber Caro’s fate and whereabouts to his lawyers and family, and proceed with his release.

Yours sincerely,

Additional information

Gilber Caro is a self-made activist for the rights of inmates, a political activist, and member of parliament for an opposition party.
On January 2017, he was detained by officers of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) while on his way to Caracas and was later charged with “treason” and “stealing military weapons”. Gilber Caro spent over a year in prison under those unfounded and politically motivated charges. He was conditionally released, however the court in charge of his case reversed this decision on 23 April 2019, although the decision was allegedly notified on 6 May 2019. The authorities still deny that he was arrested on 26 April, and his whereabouts and fate are still unknown.
Gilber Caro's previous arbitrary detention was documented by Amnesty International in its report Silenced by Force (www.amnesty.org/en/docuemnts/amr53/6014/2017/en/), and extensively campaigned for his and other 21 people’s release.
An unprecedented human rights crisis in Venezuela has been deepening since 2014, with authorities responding to claims for change and respect of their human rights with extrajudicial killings, abusive use of force and arbitrary detentions of those who protest and dissent, including political leaders and, as in this case, members of parliament without fulfilling the requirements for lifting the constitutionally granted parliamentary immunity.

PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Spanish. You can also write in your own language.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 19 June 2019
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Gilber Caro (He, His, Him)

LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr53/7992/2018/en/
						https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr53/8076/2018/en/ 

Additional TARGETS

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. HER EXCELLENCY ROCÍO MANEIRO Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 1 Cromwell Road SW7 2HW 020 7584 4206 or 020 7581 2776 Fax 020 7589 8887 ambassador@venezlon.co.uk www.reinounido.embajada.gob.ve Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDANCE

Twitter handle: @SEBIN_OFICIAL 

Suggested Message: 

ENGLISH 
Gilber Caro disappeared in #Venezuela on 26 April. We demand authorities in @SEBIN_OFICIAL to disclose his whereabouts and release him immediately. #LiberenAGilber 

ESPAÑOL 
Gilber Caro está desparecido en #Venezuela desde el #26Abril. Exigimos al @SEBIN_OFICIAL que digan dónde está y #LiberenAGilber inmediatamente.