Inter-American Court hears case over the April 11, 2002 killings in Caracas

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights convened its inaugural hearing on April 11, 2002, in San José, Costa Rica, regarding the Caracas killings that occurred near the Miraflores Palace. Nineteen individuals lost their lives and numerous others sustained injuries following an opposition march that turned violent due to gunfire.

The case, identified as Trujillo et al. v. Venezuela, was initiated by lawyers Alfredo Romero and Gonzalo Himiob of the NGO Foro Penal. The Inter-American Commission forwarded the case to the Court on July 9, 2024, following their determination that the Venezuelan government had transgressed upon human rights including life, personal integrity, assembly, and judicial guarantees and protection.

They also argued that the application of lethal force was neither legitimate, necessary, nor proportionate. The Court has yet to deliver its verdict. Testimonies provided by journalist Delvalle Canelón, who was present at the scene and testified at the trial held in Venezuela, revealed that she was subjected to threats during the legal proceedings by two individuals who fired from the Llaguno bridge and were later acquitted.

Romero alleged that there has been no investigation in Venezuela into these events, resulting in a climate of total impunity that continues to this day. Mohamed Merhi, father of Jesús Capote, who was shot in the head at the age of 18, echoed similar sentiments, stating that impunity is a direct consequence of a system that has shielded those responsible.

The only convictions handed down in connection with the incidents were those against Metropolitan Police officers, released in the current year, and the former police commissioner Iván Simonovis, who fled house arrest in 2019 and currently resides in exile. Despite Venezuela's denouncement of the American Convention on Human Rights in 2013, the Court maintains jurisdiction over occurrences that transpired prior to that date.

The parties involved have until November 13 to submit their final written submissions, which may encompass additional alleged victims not included in the initial file as well as claims for reparations.