US embassy cable - 04CARACAS1114

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 001114 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR TSHANNON AND CBARTON 
USCINSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PINS, VE 
SUBJECT: CELLIST TELLS OF TORTURE AND FLUBBED INVESTIGATION 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Abelardo A. Arias for Reason 1.4(d) 
 
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Summary: 
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1. (C) National Guard troops detained Carlos Izcaray, first 
cellist with the National Symphony Orchestra, March 1 while 
he was observing demonstrations in Caracas.  Guardsmen beat 
him, subjected him to electrical shocks, forced him to inhale 
tear gas in an enclosed space, and burned tear gas powder in 
his hair.  On March 2, he was released and went to the 
hospital, where staff photographed his injuries.  Izcaray 
filed a complaint with the Attorney General's Office 
(Fiscalia) on March 5, and was examined by a doctor from the 
GoV scientific investigative police (CICPC) on March 8.  By 
March 17, the prosecutor assigned to his case, Danilo Jaimes, 
had not read Izcaray's statement, and did not have the photos 
of his injuries in the file.  Izcaray's report to human 
rights NGO COFAVIC resulted in media coverage, but 
information the prosecutor's office has given the press is 
often false.  Izcaray's case is another example of physical 
abuse at the hands of GoV security forces and the Attorney 
General Office's refusal or inability to properly document 
and investigate allegations of torture and human rights 
abuses.  End Summary. 
 
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Surprise Detention 
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2. (SBU) During a meeting with poloff March 26, Carlos 
Izcaray described his mistreatment at the hands of National 
Guard troops and his subsequent efforts to report what 
happened and seek redress from GoV authorities.  Izcaray, who 
is the First Cellist with Venezuela's National Symphony 
Orchestra, was observing demonstrations in Plaza Francia in 
Caracas on March 1.  When the National Guard began detaining 
people, he did not run because he believed it was apparent he 
was not a demonstrator and therefore would not be seized. 
Troops threw Izcaray into a truck with about ten to fifteen 
other people, however, and took him to National Guard Station 
51 in the capital's Paraiso district. 
 
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Torture with Guns, Helmets, Electricity and Gas 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
3. (SBU) During the night, guardsmen beat him repeatedly with 
guns and helmets, tortured him with electrical shocks, and 
forced him to inhale tear gas in an enclosed space.  He 
alleges his attackers sprinkled tear gas power on his hair, 
lit it with a match, and let it burn for a few moments before 
blowing it out.  He was also humiliated and insulted, and he 
believes he was singled out for especially bad treatment 
because his skin was lighter than the other detainees with 
him.  He was released on March 2 after being warned not to 
tell anyone what happened if he wanted to live.  He was 
immediately hospitalized until March 3.  Hospital staff 
photographed his injuries. 
 
4. (SBU) Izcaray went to the Attorney General's Office 
(Fiscalia) on March 5 to file an official complaint. 
Although he had heard prosecutors were refusing Human Rights 
reports, a friend advised that a "competent" prosecutor was 
on duty that day to receive the complaint and ensure that it 
was handled properly.  Izcaray received a medical examination 
from forensic specialist from the GoV scientific 
investigative police (CICPC) on March 8.  The CICPC doctor 
did not take any new photos, but accepted Izcaray's pictures 
taken at the hospital.  Izcaray returned to the Attorney 
General's Office on March 17 with two witnesses to support 
his testimony.  The prosecutor assigned to his case, Danilo 
Jaimes, did not ask what happened to him and had not read 
Izcaray's prior statement.  In addition, Jaimes said the 
photos Izcaray left with the CICPC doctor were not in the 
prosecutor's file.  Izcaray gave the prosecutor another set 
of the photos, but concluded that his case is not being taken 
seriously. 
 
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Reporting Abuse Outside GoV Circles 
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5. (SBU) Because of the death threat he received at the 
National Guard station, Izcaray agonized before finally 
deciding to report his experience to human rights NGO 
COFAVIC.  Since he went to COFAVIC, his case has received 
significant media coverage, but information the prosecutor's 
office has given the media is often false.  For example, 
although the prosecutor never contacted Izcaray about any 
additional medical examinations, he saw a newspaper article 
on March 26 in which the prosecutor claimed to have ordered 
another medical exam to determine the nature of his injuries. 
 
 
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Comment: 
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6. (C) Izcaray's case is another example of physical abuse at 
the hands of GoV security forces and the Attorney General 
Office's refusal or inability to properly document and 
investigate allegations of torture and human rights abuses. 
President Hugo Chavez and other GoV authorities have 
repeatedly declared in national broadcasts that no human 
rights complaints have been filed with police, and accused 
various international human rights NGOs of "conspiring" to 
push him from power in a coup d'etat.  The courage of victims 
like Izcaray to report their stories will be key to inform 
the human rights community and set the GoV's record straight. 
 
 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
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      2004CARACA01114 - CONFIDENTIAL