Luisa Ortega Díaz, Venezuela’s Attorney General said on her weekly radio program "Justice and Values" that Venezuela is a serious and responsible state and will not leave unpunished "any act that violates the right to life and physical integrity of persons, ... we want to have peace and tranquility in this country. "
Regarding recent cases occurred in the country, such as the deaths of an indigenous leader of the Yukpa community, Sabino Romero; television sign language interpreter Adriana Urquiola; American businessman John Ralston Pate, and other four men, the Attorney General gave detailed information about the criminal actions carried out by the judicial branch of government in such cases.
Indigenous Yukpa leader Sabino Romero
In the case of the death of the indigenous leader of the Yukpa, Sabino Romero Izarra (44), which occurred on March 3, 2013, in Zulia state, the Attorney General highlighted the work done by state prosecutors on the case as well as the evidence they presented, which resulted in a 30 year prison sentence for Angel Bracho Romero (42), who was responsible for the death.
A year ago, Rigoberto Socorro, John Petit, Eusquides Derizan, Delvis Cardenas and Giovanny Delgaado were sentenced to ten years in prison after admitting to being accomplices to the crime.
Sign language interpreter, Adriana Urquiola
In the case of the death of the sign language interpreter of a Venezuelan media outlet , Adriana Urquiola, which occurred on March 23, 2014, in Miranda state, Ortega said that arrest warrants had been issued for two citizens who were allegedly involved in the crime. She also added that their bank accounts had been frozen.
American businessman, John Ralston Pate
In another case, the Attorney General explained two suspected perpetrators of the death of American businessman John Ralston Pate have been arrested. He was found dead on Sunday, August 9, in a house in the municipality Baruta. In that sense, the district attorney of the 4th district of metropolitan Caracas, Mayira Ramos, will soon formally charge Juan Carlos Pimentel Pacheco (24) and Jose Antonio Rodriguez Moreno (26) for this crime.
Eight members of the police were accused
Also, the senior official said they had charged eight members of the Police of Aragua state (west of Caracas) for their alleged role in the deaths of four men, which occurred on August 5 in Girardot municipality. Ortega Diaz recognized the action of the governor of Aragua, Tarek El Aissami, who requested that security forces be investigated. "Without hesitation, he asked the Ministry of the Interior and Justice to conduct a general inspection of the police force in order to correct and eradicate deviations," Díaz said.
Accompanying victims
Finally, Ortega referred to the protection that should be offered to victims and the need for inter-agency cooperation in order to protect the interests of these people in each of the phases of criminal proceedings.
She said that constitutionally, the Office of the Public Prosecutor has the legal authority to protect the victims of an offense and to coordinate criminal investigations.
AVN / Press-Venezuelan Embassy to the US / August 19, 2015
