Attorney General: Over 6,000 complaints of alleged extrajudicial executions carried out by the police between 2000 and 2007

According to Amnesty International (AI) political violence and insecurity continued in Venezuela in 2007 despite the coming into force of an organic law to protect women from violence. AI says "several demonstrations ended in violent clashes between demonstrators and between them and the police."

AI recalls that President Hugo Chavez Frias began his third term in office January and that the National Assembly granted him the power to enact by decree for 18 months laws on matters such as public security and institutional reform, and that Venezuelans rejected controversial constitutional changes in a national referendum.

As regards political violence, Amnesty International claims that "authorities failed to take effective measures to halt the escalation of violence in the context of demonstrations promoted by supporters and opponents of the Government." Dozens of demonstrators, mainly students -- including those under 18 -- were arrested or wounded during demonstrations protesting the government's decision not to renew Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) public broadcast license last May (2007).

As regards public security, AI says that, according to the Attorney General, over 6,000 complaints of alleged extrajudicial executions carried out by the police had been filed between 2000 and 2007 and of 2,000 officers reportedly involved in these acts, fewer than 400 had been arrested by the end of that year.

"The use of firearms to commit homicide and other violent crimes continued to be widespread, even in prisons," says AI presenting official figures which show between January and September 2007 there were 9,568 homicides ... 852 more than in the same period in the previous year."

Last March a new organic law on women's right to a life free from violence came into force but by the end of 2007, no action plan had been drawn up to provide the necessary resources to implement it. Human Rights activists continued to be subject to attacks and intimidation and Jose Luis Urbano, president of the Pro-Defence of the Right to Education Organization was wounded in an attack.