A/HRC/45/CRP.11 63. On 4 December 2013, the National Assembly approved the “Second Socialist Plan for the Economic and Social Development of the Nation,”84 which had been presented by President Maduro in September. The Plan laid out the public policies, as well as the micro and macro-economic goals, which guided actions of the Government for the period 20132019 (a third plan was adopted in 2019 for the period 2019-2025).85 64. The January 2014 protests gained momentum after a series of violent attacks increased concerns over the situation of insecurity in the country.86 This included the killing on 6 January 2014 of a former “Miss Venezuela” and her husband in a roadside robbery and the alleged attempted sexual assault in early February against a university student. In the absence of official data, civil society organizations have estimated that rates of violent deaths in Venezuela in 2014 were at 82 per 100,000.87 65. Students in the state of Táchira were the first to organize demonstrations protesting the situation of insecurity in the country.88 Following the detention of students after alleged violent confrontations with security forces, solidarity protests spread around the country. 89 The demands of the protesters grew to include complaints related to the economic and social rights,90 including among middle-class sectors. According to the Venezuelan Observatory for Social Conflict, in February 2014, protests increased rapidly in number, totalling 2,248 across the country, an increase of more than 400 per cent as compared to the prior month, and representing a 10-year high.91 66. On 12 February, three people were shot and killed during protests.92 That same day, President Maduro said that he was prohibiting unauthorized protests and said that he had given “clear instructions” to security forces to protect citizens in the main cities. 93 The Government accused the opposition of inciting chaos and violence.94 67. On 21 February, President Maduro convened a meeting of “anti-coup commandos,” made up by the armed forces and civilian groups, to “continue defeating the fascist coup in 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 Published in Official Gazette No. 6,118 of 4 December 2013, available at: http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/ven130206.pdf. Plan de la Patria 2019-2015, available at: https://observatorioplanificacion.cepal.org/es/planes/plande-la-patria-2019-2025-de-venezuela. For an overview of the numbers of protests, see Foro Penal, Venezuela 2014, Protests and Human Rights 2014: Report February-May 2014, available at: https://foropenal.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/05/informe-2014.pdf According to the Venezuelan Observatory on Violence (https://institutolacso.org/wpcontent/uploads/2019/11/INFORME-ANUAL-DE-VIOLENCIA-2014.pdf). Equipo de Defensores de Derechos Humanos del Táchira, Informe Preliminar sobre la situación de los Derechos Humanos en el estado Táchira, April 2015. See Chapter VI on Violations in the Context of Protests, below. See Civilis Derechos Humanos et al., Venezuela 2014: Protestas y Derechos Humanos, available at: https://www.civilisac.org/civilis/wp-content/uploads/Informe-final-protestas-conjunto-1.pdf. See also Case 35: Marches, Colectivos and Torture (12 February 2014). OVCS, Informe Conflictividad Social en Venezuela 2014, pp. 4-6, available at: http://www.observatoriodeconflictos.org.ve/oc/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Conflictividad-enVenezuela-2014.pdf. OVCS, Tendencias de conflictividad: protestas aumentan 400% en febrero, 6 March 2014, available at: https://www.observatoriodeconflictos.org.ve/tendencias-de-la-conflictividad/tendencias-deconflictividad-protestas-aumentan-400-en-febrero. See High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN rights office urges probe into Venezuela violence, calls for dialogue to resolve crisis, 14 February 2014, available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2014/02/461822-un-rights-office-urges-probe-venezuela-violence-callsdialogue-resolve-crisis, citing information from the Public Prosecutor’s Office on those killed. See YouTube Video, Últimas Noticias, Presidente Nicolás Maduro sobre protestas, 12 February 2014, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLi3Yz7e4eI. See statement of the Minister of the Interior and Justice, General Miguel Rodríguez Torres on 13 February 2014. Transcript in CIVILIS, Violaciones a los derechos humanos en el marzo de manifestaciones pacíficas, febrero 2014, 4 March 2014, p. 3, available at: https://www.civilisac.org/informes/venezuela-violaciones-a-los-derechos-humanos-en-el-marco-demanifestaciones-pacificas-febrero-2014. 15