A/HRC/45/CRP.11 Ramo Verde 810. Upon arrival to Ramo Verde, Majors Falcón and Suárez spent sixteen days in an overcrowded cell called El Tigríto. They were incommunicado during this time. On 12 July 2018, Major Falcón was released on remand with precautionary measures. The court forbade him from leaving the country or speaking to the media and required him to present himself at the First Military Court of Control every 30 days. 811. Major Suárez remained in Ramo Verde until April 2020, when he was transferred to DGCIM Boleíta (along with Colonel Rommel Acevedo, detailed below). According to accounts received by the Mission, Major Suárez has suffered from severe trauma and tried to commit suicide twice.1509 Second Arrest 812. In May 2019, DGCIM officers arrested Major Falcón for a second time, as he was attending an event at the Ministry of Defence, and took him to DGCIM Boleíta. He told the Mission that DGCIM officers handcuffed him to a chair, beat his ribs and asphyxiated him with a plastic bag, while interrogating him about his relationship with opposition leader Guaidó. He was released the next day, but not before DGCIM officers threatened to kill his family”.1510 813. On 21 June 2019, Major Falcón left Venezuela and sought asylum abroad. 1511 Findings 814. Based on the facts above, the Mission has reasonable grounds to believe that arbitrary arrest and detention, short term enforced dissapearence, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment was committed against Major Falcón. The Mission has also reasonable grounds to believe that sexual violence was committed in the form of threats of rape. 815. The DGCIM officers involved in the arrest and detention belonged to the Special Directorate of Penal and Criminalistic Investigations and the Special affairs unit under the leadership of Colonel Franco Quintero and Mayor Granko Arteaga. 816. Other officers involved in the acts of torture during Major Falcón’s detention in Boleíta included Lieutenant Saul Mendez (alias Severio), Capitan Nestor Neptali Blanco Hurtado (alias Ezequiel), Lieutenant Abel Reinaldo Angola Garcia (alias Aureliano), Captain Jonathan Becerra (alias Piraña), Major Sanchez Castro and Captain Keyler Chacón (Alias Gaviota). CASE 15: Operation Constitution: illustrated by cases of Colonel Oswaldo Valentín García Palomo, Colonel José Rommel Acevedo Montañez, and Antonio José Iabichuela 817. The Mission has reviewed six cases of individuals arrested and detained between January and February 2019, accused of involvement in Operation Constitution, a plot to assassinate President Maduro and other political authorities. Among those arrested and detained were Colonels Oswaldo Valentín García Palomo and José Rommel Acevedo Montañez, as well as an associated civilian, Antonio José Iabichuela whose cases are detailed here and are illustrative of wider patterns of violations. Other detainees included First Lieutenants Alberto José Salazar Cabañas and Colonel Johny Mejias Laya. 1512 818. Colonel Oswaldo Valentín García Palomo is a former Venezuelan National Guard Colonel who retired in 2014.1513 While in service, Colonel Palomo was summoned on three 1509 1510 1511 1512 1513 Mission Interview with Isaias Lenin Falcón in July 2020, Document C3DD20 on file with the Mission. Mission Interview with Isaias Lenin Falcón in July 2020. Asylum statement on file with the Mission. Protection concerns prevent the Mission from revealing the names of the other detainee. Resolution 004437, retiro por solicitud propia del Coronel Oswaldo García Palomo. 169