POLICY OF ARREST AND INCARCERATION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002700540007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 13, 1999
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 26, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

25X1A2g
Approved For ReleJ/01~~;>47R00270Q{
Is rhm U. N.0 x % 11 rCD11Q.
COUNTRY Venezuela
DATE. DISTR. 26 m . y '194x
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF INFO
political P_r 3:,7"A 7-a , ...,..y,1,.c~J..yav:cs ..r~ I~(]. t7F AG 1 25X1A2g
25X1A6a
Lin
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REP
".1'I-se fo11orin" infornatiotr cosrcornin:; the prison system in Venezuela is
prosonted in vier of the general concern over the continuin .. incarceration
of~ppolitical prisonorsn,
25X1X6
follor.in,; the revolutiornarjr rrrovortent b
milit
y
ary
officers on 24 'ovember 1948 after ,,hiah a Military Junta ti:as estfab1j had,
r-tauiy imprisonments w?cro made throu shout the country and continue to be
ria.de up to the present time, Some f ev of toe arrested have been
a conservative estimate of thoso nor, bein:; hold for
political rocs ons is 4,000, of v.'_wn 800 are beau- hold because of hav3.rV
on,-tr ad in political activities of various labor unions. It is the general
polioy of the ?overnrront to accept at prison instituti ns, including the
Ctrcol 1..odejo in Catia, Caracas, and the pr isor.: at Sawn JurQn de. los mottos;,
individuals who v.vro arrested on the orders of military officers v-i th. rank
as log:- as that of .lieutenant, The arrests are made first and the Iinist.ry
o' Interior is notified of the reasons afterward, in most cases orally?
.'ilitar v officers have unguent - otiably in some instances taken advtt nta;,o
o-':" these circumstances and have brought about the incarceration of personal
enemies rho are not clan,;,erous from either a revolutionary or political
AMA B of vievw,
prison wardens are under strict orders not to
rte ease anyone without the v.ritten orders of the :mister of Interior,
a:'forts have been made by relatives and friends of prisoners to obtain their
release, and the Minister has had a general policy of stating that he 'could
look into the matter and see what could be done,, Considerable time has
elapsed in many instances and there has appeared to be a lack of any kind
w effort on the part of the -Ninister of Interior to inveati,--mate and
c otormino why certain prisoners arcs being held?
Lt, Cola Carlos Deli-,ado Chalbaud, President of the I''.ii'litary Junta, is more
or less noncommittal on the subject of political prisoners. Fie is reported
to hare stated that his om father as in prison for 15 years and that
prisoners "ado not die". Source took this to mean that Vel,;ado has no desire
a-; present to takef-12i
MA rk%
s to. .eznedy the a ituation,
STATES- ~! h!/VY A'~hSRQ~ 1 DYST{?6r'l1TI
ON
1 AIR rRt
CONE
`ber 1978 from the
Archivist of the Uni
L in accordance with the
Director
of Cent
ocument is hereby regraded to
letter of
iigence to tide
Next Review Date: 2008
ease
Document No.
NQ CHANGE in
)ECLASSIF
fIIjji DDA I
Auth : D DA REG.
/09 : CIA-RDF "45*F$001 1'Oq