A/HRC/45/CRP.11 committees and colectivos to initiate “active resistance”. 557 In other statements, President Maduro has claimed to be “the first defender of the colectivos”, because they are made up of “good people, patriotic people, sacrificing people”.558 Government officials have made public statements calling upon colectivos, including in moments of political crisis. 559 218. According to former Government and military officials interviewed by the Mission, high-level political authorities, including President Maduro, have met with colectivos on various occasions. Cristopher Figuera, former director of SEBIN between 2018 and 2019, told the Mission that “ministers” would meet with heads of colectivos “to give them guidelines”. He claimed to have been asked to attend such a meeting, but had decided to discontinue the practice.560 Another former military official interviewed by the Mission said, “the colectivos have spokespersons and coordinators in constant communication with President Maduro”.561 219. Four different former military officials with whom the Mission spoke said that the colectivos are hired to administer Government social programs as a way of channelling money to them as payment for their “services”.562 According to other former State employees interviewed by the Mission, the Government uses the figure of Bolivarian Militia to pay the colectivos in an official way.563 There is also information that some members of colectivos are also serving in State security forces. In the case of the operation that resulted in the death of Óscar Pérez in January 2018, a member of the FAES who was also killed in the incident, was later revealed to be a member of the Tres Raíces colectivo.564 220. The Mission has seen reference to colectivos in official documents, in particular references to their role in maintaining social control in neighbourhoods or acting as Government informants. The Presidential Decree No. 2,323 of 13 May 2016 references the role civil actors in surveillance and activities to maintain public order, granting power for this purpose to the CLAP, the Community Councils and “other grassroots organizations of the People’s Power”.565 According to a source consulted by the Mission, these grassroots organizations include the colectivos, which, together with the public forces, carried out actions related to maintaining security.566 221. Similarly, the Manual of Operational Norms and Procedures of the Special Administrative Police Service in Support of the Public Administration in Matters of Public Order, issued by the Ministry of Defence, specifically references the colectivos. 567 It states that, “Military officers in charge of law enforcement take advantage of the interaction with the communities and the colectivos […] so that the operations of maintenance of public order 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 See YouTube Video: Luigino Bracci Roa, Situación en Venezuela. Presidente Nicolás Maduro, cadena completa el 11 de marzo 2019 sobre apagón eléctrico en Venezuela, minute 23:45, 11 March 2019, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YZMmPg1eyI. See YouTube Video: Luigino Bracci Roa, Situación en Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro en contacto telefónico con Diosdado Cabello en Con el Mazo Dando, minute 31:35, 3 April 2019, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTOInr6ViRU. See YouTube, Luigino Bracci Roa, Diosdado Cabello confirma la muerte de un miembro de colectivos del 23 de Enero y pide calma, 12 February 2014, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_kI0NZGVQ. Mission Interview with Christopher Figuera in June 2020. Mission Interview SCHH05 in June 2020. Mission Interview SCHH05 in June 2020; Mission Interview SCHH06 in June 2020; Mission Interview SCHH10 in July 2020; Mission Interview SCHH07 in July 2020; Mission Interview SCHH08 in July 2020. Mission Interview SCHH06 in June 2020, Mission Interview SCHH10 in July 2020; Mission Interview SCHH07 in July 2020. See investigation by Runrun.es into this incident: https://runrun.es/investigacion/336777/lider-decolectivo-asesinado-en-operacion-contra-oscar-perez-tenia-doble-identidad/. Decree No. 2.323 published in Official Gazette No. 6.227, art. 1, 13 May 2016, available at: https://www.cpzulia.org/ARCHIVOS/Gaceta_Oficial_Extraordinaria_6227_Decreto_2323_Estado_d e_Excepcion_y_Emergencia_Economica_13_05_16.pdf. Mission Interview SCHH06 in June 2020. Ibid. 59