A/HRC/45/CRP.11 go beyond the simple fact of interacting with citizens, but rather go to the investigation of relevant information about possible actions that cause social disorder”.568 222. Several former military members interviewed by the Mission coincide in identifying Freddy Bernal, National Coordinator of the CLAP programme, as the person in charge of the colectivos in Caracas and the state of Táchira.569 223. Colectivos have allegedly been involved in attacks against the political opposition. In July 2017, members of what were allegedly colectivos stormed the federal legislative palace and assaulted opposition members of the National Assembly.570 In January 2020, media outlets again reported that the National Assembly was blocked by colectivos. 571 A former military general interviewed by the Mission said, “If an opposition activist is protesting and needs to be silenced, Maduro sends the colectivos, they paint on their houses, they intimidate them, them and their families [...] then that person rethinks his way of acting”.572 In March 2020, 16 members of the National Assembly573 denounced that members of the colectivos had spray-painted their houses with the words “Bolivarian fury”.574 224. During political protests, the colectivos were in some cases involved in crowd control or violations in coordination with the State armed forces and/or upon the instruction of State political leaders. In several cases investigated by the Mission, the colectivos were identified as those responsible for the killing of demonstrators. Former Colombian Guerrilla Groups 225. In recent years, and especially after the 2016 peace agreements in Colombia, Colombian guerrilla groups including the National Liberation Army (ELN – the Ejército de Liberación Nacional), the Popular Liberation Army (ELP – the Ejército Popular de Liberación) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC – Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), have also expanded their presence in Venezuela. These groups have a presence in Bolívar and Amazonas states, where they compete for control over mining resources.575 There are numerous allegations of human rights violations of these groups, in coordination Venezuelan State security forces and organized criminal syndicates. The Mission has been unable to explore this issue in depth, and recommends further investigation into this complex and important issue. 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 60 Manual de normas y procedimientos operativos del servicio de policía administrativa especial y de investigación penal en apoyo a la administración pública en materia de orden público, MAP GNB CO 07 03 01-1, 1 April 2015, p. 37. Mission Interview SCHH06 in June 2020; Mission Interview SCHH08 in July 2020; Mission Interview SCHH09 in June 2020. See images here: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-40513368. Mission Interview PCHH01 in May 2020. See also InfoBae, Juan Guaidó y un grupo de diputados lograron quebrar el cerco policial y sesionaron en la Asamblea Nacional: “Fue una hazaña”, 7 January 2020, available at: https://www.infobae.com/america/venezuela/2020/01/07/en-vivo-tension-envenezuela-juan-guaido-intentara-ingresar-a-la-asamblea-nacional-y-el-chavismo-anuncio-que-no-lepermitira-presidir-la-sesion/. Mission Interview SCHH06 in June 2020. Including Rosa Petit, José Olivares, Bolivia Suárez, Luis Lippa, Larissa González, Sergio Vergara, Luis Silva, María Beatriz Martínez, José Antonio Mendoza, Eliezer Sirit, Karim Vera, Alfonso Marquina, Joaquín Aguilar, Hector Cordero, Carlos Michelangeli and Carlos Andrés González. Informe Especial sobre la situación de parlamentarios venezolanos (2019). Comisión de Justicia y Paz, Sub-Comisión de Atención a las Víctimas. Periodo Legislativo 2016-2021. See images here: https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2020/03/30/5e822567fdddffd3468b45c5.html. These attacks come a few days after President Maduro warned “the Colombian oligarchy and the imperialists” that if they messed with Venezuela they would face ‘Bolivarian fury’”. See e.g., International Crisis Group, “Gold and Grief in Venezuela’s Violent South, 23 February 2019, available at: https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/andes/venezuela/073-goldand-grief-venezuelas-violent-south.