A/HRC/45/CRP.11
occasions between 2001 and 2014 by DGCIM (and its predecessor) for interviews and
interrogations.1514
819. Since 2018, the Government has accused Colonel Palomo of planning military
operations to disturb the elections of May 2018;1515 participating in the drone attack of 4
August 2018; and recruiting active or reserve members of the military to assassinate President
Maduro and other political authorites in the alleged Operation Constitution.1516
820. Military tribunals issued warrants for Colonel Palomo’s arrest on two occasions in
2018, in relation to alleged attempts to destabilize and to organize coups against the
Government.1517 A civilian court with specialized jurisdiction over terrorism offences issued
a third arrest warrant in connection with an assassination attempt against President
Maduro.1518 In an August 2018 interview, Colonel García Palomo admitted to participating
in an operation aimed at overthrowing the Maduro Government, but denied involvement in
any attempt to assassinate the President.1519
821. In February 2018, DGCIM officers without warrants searched Colonel Palomo’s
house, seized personal belongings, and proceeded to handcuff and hood his son and wife,
who were taken to unofficial safehouses where they were interrogated about Colonel
Palomo’s whereabouts (see Ariana Granadillo case, detailed below). Colonel Palomo’s
family subsequently left the country.1520
822. Colonel José Rommel Acevedo Montañez was a former Venezuelan National Guard
Colonel who retired in 2015. Mr. Antonio José Iabichuela is a Venezuelan merchant. Colonel
Acevedo and Mr. Iabichuela had not previously been accused of or investigated for any
insurgency activity.1521
The Arrest
823. On 27 January 2019, Colonel Palomo and Colonel Acevedo were traveling in Colonel
Acevedo’s car from Táchira State to Caracas. The Mission has interviewed their family
members and lawyers,1522 reviewed statements on social media,1523 and contacted other
reliable sources close to the case.1524 All sources indicate that the families lost contact with
the three men during the afternoon of 27 January 2019.1525
824. Family members denounced the disappearance of the three individuals via Twitter.
On 30 January 2019, Colonel Palomo’s wife made a post on Twitter denouncing his
1514
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522
1523
1524
1525
170
Document CG-IG-0948 of the General Inspectorate of the GNB on 15 April 2014, Summons number
122 made by the DIM on 22 may 2002, Subpoena DGCSIM-005-068.02 on 2 May 200, on file with
the Mission.
YouTube Video, TeleSurTV, “Presidente Nicolás Maduro denuncia a autores de intento de
magnicidio”, 18 September 2018, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klwVMfMbnwk.
Act of Accusation, MP-35567-2019.
Order number 330-18 from the First Military Tribunal of Control on 14 November 2018, and order
TM2-047-19 from the Second Military Tribunal of Control on 25 January 2018, on file with the
Mission.
Act of Accusation, referencia a Orden 014-2018 investigación MP-268957-2018 dated 5 August
2018, on file with the Mission.
See El Nuevo Herald, El ejército tiene que sacar a Maduro del poder, dice coronel venezolano
buscado por el régimen, 31 August 2018, available at:
https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/mundo/america-latina/venezuela-es/article217635965.html.
Mission Interview with C3DD09 in June 2020.
Act of Accusation, MP-35567-2019, on file with the Mission.
Document C3DD07, on file with Mission, Mission Interview C3DD09 in June 2020, Mission
Interview C3DD05 in June 2020.
https://twitter.com/carlosramirezl3/status/1090300998659248128?s=20
Documents C3DD04 and C3DD07, on file with the Mission.
See YouTube Video, Christian Johnson Television, SECUESTRO del CNEL. Oswaldo García
Palomo en VENEZUELA, 2 March 2019, available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vomDjGnF9zM; YouTube Video, La Patilla, Esposa del coronel
(r) García Palomo: Mi esposo quiere a Nicolás Maduro vivo y preso, 31 January 2019, available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tp6dugGQt0.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents