A/HRC/45/CRP.11 528. The intelligence report stated that FEC “captures youth to take advantage of their lack of resources, paying them in cash (US dollars and Bolivars), food, housing, clothing and other benefits, from political opposition leaders, NGOs and transnational businesses opposed to the Government of Nicolás Maduro, with the objective to create violent flashpoints in different parts of the country”.1098 529. The report alleged individuals and NGOs were linked to opposition politicians and the United States Government, and that they collaborated to commit terrorist acts. The report mentioned an FEC funded trip to the United States for a United Nations competition. It illustrated various social and employment connections to opposition members including María Corina Machado and David Smolanksy. The report also mentioned FEC’s receipt of funding from a Belgian NGO.1099 The report did not provide any details about criminal activity, but recommended surveillance on FEC members.1100 The Arrest of Gregory Hinds 530. The official record on these detentions differs from witness accounts gathered by the Mission. SEBIN’s arrest record states that officers arrived at the FEC offices on Thursday, 1 February 2018.1101 According to witnesses the operation occured on Wednesday, 31 January 2018.1102 According to Mr. Hinds, he arrived at his office having been summoned by employees to find armed officers wearing SEBIN uniforms were searching the office. They had not presented a search warrant, but members of the organization had granted them entrance to the premises, fearing escalation.1103 531. SEBIN’s report states they searched Mr. Hinds, seized his cell phone, arrested him and read his rights as a detainee.1104 Mr. Hinds and other witnesses remember Mr. Hinds voluntarily accompanying officers to El Helicoide for an interview, to which another FEC member drove him in her private vehicle.1105 532. Upon arrival at El Helicoide, SEBIN officers took Mr. Hinds’ photograph and fingerprints, telling him that it was standard procedure for anyone coming for questioning. After this Mr. Hinds was never permitted to leave.1106 A SEBIN commissioner interrogated Mr. Hinds about his relationship with opposition leaders, political parties and international funding. The commissioner told him they had arrested Víctor Navarro; Mr. Hinds insisted they no longer worked together.1107 533. SEBIN officers ordered Mr. Hinds to say that he had received foreign funding, knew opposition leaders and had contact with the US Embassy, in a videod statement. The officers sent a series of WhatsApp messages containing the recording. After several hours of questioning, Mr. Hinds attempted to leave El Helicoide. The officers laughed and suggested he stay the night for safety reasons. He was not told that he was under arrest. 1108 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 124 Document C2EE06 on file with the Mission. The report claims that FEC received funding from a Belgian NGO called Southday. Indeed, in 2012 FEC received a small grant from Zuiddag (“South Day”), a Belgian NGO registered in 2006 and now known as Youth for Change and Action (YOUCA). This organization regularly provides small grants to projects run by NGOs in the Global South; it provided funding to FEC only once, for an educational project aimed at youth residing in low-resource areas to learn personal and professional skills. A brief description of the project is available on YOUCA’s website: https://youca.be/venezuela. Mission Interviews with C2EE04 and C2EE05 in May 2020 indicated that the FEC only received funding once from that source. Document C2EE06 on file with the Mission. Document C2EE07 on file with the Mission. Mission Interview with Geraldine Chacón on 13 May 2020; Mission Interview with Gregory Hinds on 19 May 2020; Mission Interview C2EE07 in June 2020. Mission Interview with Geraldine Chacón, 13 May 2020; Mission Interview with Gregory Hinds, 19 May 2020; Mission Interview C2EE06 and C2EE07 held in May and June 2020. Document C2EE08 on file with the Mission. Mission Interview with Gregory Hinds on 19 May 2020; Mission Interview C2EE07 in May 2020. Ibid. Mission Interview with Gregory Hinds on 19 May 2020. Ibid.