A/HRC/45/CRP.11
charges of treason939 and theft of goods belonging to the FANB.940 The judge did not accept
a rebellion charge made by Prosecutor Mamuh Ibrischs Nidal. 941 Without explanation, the
judge transfered Mr. Caro to the Centro de Formación del Hombre Nuevo, in Tocuyito,
Libertador Municipality, Carabobo state, a prison for common criminals.942
431. In early October 2017, eight months after his arrest, the preliminary hearing was
suspended for the sixth time for “administrative reasons”. Mr. Caro remained in detention in
Tocuyito.943
432. On 2 March 2018, Mr. Caro was transferred to Fenix prison, a high security facility
in Lara State, having been accused of an escape attempt from Tocuyito. Fenix is around 200
kilometres from Tocuyito. Neither Mr. Caro’s relatives nor his lawyers were informed about
the transfer.944 A few days before the transfer, Mr. Caro’s sister received a call from an
unknown number about a flight ticket to Chile that the caller said she had under Mr. Caro’s
name.945
433. Mr. Caro was held in the so-called “corridor of oblivion” within Fenix prison, where
he was given a single pot of water to drink, wash and clean his clothes. He spent his entire
period of detention, from 2 March until 2 June 2018, in isolation and incommunicado.
According to his lawyer, Mr. Caro suffered from amoebic dysentery due to contaminated
food and water.946
434. On 2 June 2018, the Sixth Military Court of Control granted provisional, noncustodial measures instead of detention, which prohibited him from leaving the country and
required him to present himself periodically before the court.947 On the same day, Gilber Caro
was taken to the “Casa Amarilla”, headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he
was released together with other political prisoners.948
435. On 5 June 2018, Mr. Caro resumed his duties as a National Assembly member, having
had his credentials renewed. He had spent 17 months in detention.949
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
The crime of treason is contemplated in article 464 of the Organic Code of Military Justice and also in
article 128 of Criminal Code.
Organic Code of Military Justice, art. 570(1).
Venezuela al Día, Tribunal Militar priva de libertad al diputado Gilber Caro, 1 June 2017, available
at: https://venezuelaaldia.com/2017/06/01/tribunal-militar-priva-de-libertad-al-diputado-gilber-caro/;
El Carabobeño, Juez militar ratificó privativa de libertad a Gilber Caro, 1 June 2017, available at:
https://www.el-carabobeno.com/juez-militar-privo-libertad-gilber-caro/
Ibid. See also, 2001 Online, Ratifican privativa de libertad a Gilber Caro y lo trasladan a Tocuyito, 1
June 2017, available at: http://www.2001online.com/en-la-agenda/160990/ratifican-privativa-delibertad-a-gilber-caro-y-lo-trasladan-a-tocuyito.html
See the tag for information on Gilber Caro at Accesso a la Justicia,
https://www.accesoalajusticia.org/tag/caro-gilber/
Transparencia Venezuela, Denuncian traslado irregular del diputado Gilber Caro, no date, available
at: https://transparencia.org.ve/denuncian-traslado-irregular-del-diputado-gilber-caro-2/
Interview with Mr. Caro’s sister on 21 May 2020.
Interview with Mr. Caro’s lawyer on 19 May 2020. See also Control Ciudadano, Defensa de Gilber
Caro exige traslado a Ramo Verde ordenado por tribunal militar, 15 May 2018, available at:
https://www.controlciudadano.org/noticias/defensa-de-gilber-caro-exige-traslado-a-ramo-verdeordenado-por-tribunal-militar
Criminal Procedure Code, art. 242. Interview with Mr. Caro’s lawyer on 19 May 2020.
El Impulso, Gilber Caro fue trasladado a la Casa Amarilla para su posible liberación #02Jun, 2 June
2018, available at: https://www.elimpulso.com/2018/06/02/gilber-caro-fue-trasladado-a-la-casaamarilla-para-su-posible-liberacion-02jun/. See also Globovisión Videos, Los diputados Gilber Caro
y Renzo Prieto son liberados del Helicoide, 2 June 2018, available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0whtnz5KUM.
Los Tubazos, Asamblea Nacional juramentó a los diputados Gilber Caro y Renzo Prieto, 5 June 2018,
available at: https://lostubazos.com/asamblea-nacional-juramento-a-los-diputados-gilber-caro-yrenzo-prieto/
107
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