URGENT ACTION

DETAINEE RELEASED 
Gilber Caro, who was disappeared, arbitrarily detained and held incommunicado for almost two months, was released on 17 June 2019, prior to a United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner’s visit to Venezuela.

NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS.

Venezuelan opposition member of parliament Gilber Caro was arbitrarily detained in incommunicado detention since 26 April 2019, putting his personal integrity at risk. Authorities denied having information on his fate and whereabouts since his detention by intelligence officers until 31 May. He was released on 17 June 2019 prior to the visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. Until this date there is no official information on the reasons of his detentions neither the basis of his release. 

Gilber Caro was also arbitrarily detained from January 2017 until June 2018 under unfounded accusations of treason and stealing military equipment. His disappearance and incommunicado detention are arbitrary since they reverse the freedom he was granted in June. We called on the Director of the intelligence service (SEBIN) to swiftly allow access to Gilber Caro and to release him immediately.

Amnesty International helped keeping Caro’s profile high and visible, but we know there were some other efforts to secure his release in the framework of Bachelet’s official visit to Venezuela, such as one called “the Boston Group” which had accomplished the release of another person who was subjected to arbitrary detentions in 2018. 

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Gilber Caro (He, him, his)

THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL UPDATE FOR UA 055/19

LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr53/0528/2019/en/