In 2012 two members of the Barrios family were assassinated in Venezuela

Caracas, San José and Washington D.C., January 7, 2013– The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), The Committee of Families of the Victims of the Events of February and March 1989 (COFAVIC) and the Justice and Peace Commission of the State of Aragua (Comisión de Justicia y Paz de Aragua) condemn the assassination of two more members of the Barrios family in Venezuela in 2012.

Jorge Antonio Barrios and Victor Tomás Navarro Barrios are the eighth and ninth members of the above mentioned family to be murdered.

On December 15, 2012, Jorge Antonio Barrios was assassinated at gunpoint in El Huete, Cagua in the State of Aragua, Venezuela. According to reports, Jorge Antonio Barrios was shot in the back as he crossed the street on motorcycle accompanied by one of his cousins. Those responsible for inflicting the gun wounds fled the scene and Jorge Antonio Barrios died as a result of injuries sustained. Jorge Antonio lived 200 kilometers from the murder site. The identity of those who orchestrated and perpetrated the murder along with their motivation is still unknown. Jorge Antonio Barrios was the eldest son of Benito Antonio Barrios, who was assassinated by police officers of the State of Aragua in 1998. Jorge Antonio witnessed the beating of his father by police officers and the forceful removal from his home; making Jorge Antonio a material witness in identifying the assailants.

Under similar circumstances on June 9, 2012, also in El Huete, the younger Victor Tomás Navarro Barrios was assassinated as he returned from visiting a family member in the same area. According to reports, unknown subjects shot him causing his death. Like Jorge Antonio Barrios, Victor Tomás was merely visiting his family. The investigation is currently in its initial stages; no one has been held responsible for his death.

Between 1998 and 2011 seven members of the Barrios family were assassinated and their deaths remain unsolved. Benito Antonio (1998), Narciso (2003) and Rigoberto Barrios (2005), only sixteen years old, were killed by police officers of the State of Aragua. In the following years, Luis Alberto (2004), Oscar (2009), Wilmer (2010) and Juan José Barrios (2011), were also assassinated under similar circumstances. In the last few cases, the Venezuelan government was aware of the risks facing these men who were relying on domestic and international protection. The country did not take adequate measures to prevent the attacks that ended their lives. In 2011 Néstor Caudi Barrios, who was 24 years old, also suffered severely from an attack that left him permanently injured.

Due to these incidents, on November 14, 2011, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned Venezuela for violating the basic human right to life, the integrity of the members of the Barrios family, and for failing to conduct an investigation surrounding the murders.

It is especially regrettable that deeds like these are consistently repeated when the Inter-American Court had established clear measures that Venezuela should take in order to avoid the recurrence of these crimes, including a diligent and effective investigation.  Despite the sentence and the existence of provisional measures ordered by the Court, two new Barrios family murders occurred and these murders remain unsolved and unpunished.

A year since the sentence for the Barrios Family Case, we condemn these assassinations and insist that Venezuela comply with the orders of the Court in a serious and timely manner. We also insist that Venezuela offer the necessary protection to the members of the Barrios family whose lives remain at great risk.