The Committee of Family Members of the Victims of the events that occurred between February 27 and the first days of March of 1989 (COFAVIC) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights. COFAVIC is free of any doctrine, it is independent of any partisan or religious institution, and it has the legal structure of a non-profit civil association.

The birth of COFAVIC is tied to Venezuelan history. In 1989, the incumbent Government announced a set of economic measures, and groups of persons in Caracas and its satellite communities took to the streets in protest, which deteriorated into plundering and a situation of social instability. The Government decreed a curfew that brought with it one of the strongest acts of repression that the people of Caracas have ever suffered in this contemporary period of democracy (begun in 1958). The official balance announced by the Public Ministry speaks of 600 persons dying during these events.

As soon as the curfew was raised, the relatives of these victims converged individually on the Bello Monte Morgue (in Caracas), where they discovered that their case was not just an isolated incident; on the contrary, that there were hundreds of mothers, wives, sons and daughters claiming the corpses of their dead, and in many cases missing, relatives. Forty two of these relatives and three direct victims joined to form COFAVIC, an organization that from there on would have an objective: to establish the truth of what really happened and to seek punishment for the guilty.

But these relatives did not limit their struggle to this case, colloquially known as “El Caracazo” (the big Caracas blow). Since 1992, COFAVIC has been advising and taking care of the victims in diverse areas of violations to the rights to life, personal integrity, personal freedom as well as to due process. So far, we have worked in about 500 cases of violations of human rights in Venezuela and we have taken three cases to the Inter-American Human Rights System.

Vision
To contribute to the creation of a more democratic society, in which impunity is the exception and not the rule, and where no violations of human rights are tolerated either by the State or by society.
To contribute to the creation of persons with the ability to exercise and defend their rights.

Mission
To advise and to give comprehensive care to the victims of violations to their rights to life, personal integrity and freedom, and due process; keeping in mind that a victim is not only the person who suffers the violation but also his or her relatives.
To instill human rights concepts in the public officers entrusted with enforcing the law and maintaining public order.
To monitor and document the situation of human rights in the country, with special attention to civil and political rights.
To sensitize Venezuelan society on the observance of human rights.

CONTACT
Your grievances, questions or consultations are welcome through the following routes:
In writing or in person to the following address: Avenida Urdaneta, Esquina Candilito, Edificio El Candil, piso 1, Oficina 1-A, PO Box 16150, Postcode 1011-A.
La Candelaria, Caracas, Venezuela.
By phone or fax to numbers:
Phone (00 (58-212)) … 572.96.31 or 572.99.12 or 572.62.20
Fax (00 (58-212)) … 572.99.08
If you wish, you can write to our e-mail: cofavic@cofavic.org.ve

Advice to Victims:
COFAVIC provides support to victims of violations of human rights, and their relatives, in three areas:

Legal:
Gives advice to the victims and/or their relatives individually or collectively on the legal procedures they can carry out in the national and international spheres to obtain justice in accordance with the rights they possess.

Psychological:
Offers specialized psychological care to victims of violations of human rights and to the families and groups directly and indirectly affected by the events. Promotes psycho-social intervention strategies to minimize the impact of said events on the community.

Of dissemination:
The communication area advises victims on how to make use of the mass media to carry out the allegation; this not only is a means to pressure the institutions entrusted with the administration of justice but it is also an act of moral redress for the victims´ relatives.

Your grievances, questions or consultations are welcome by the following means:
In writing or in person to the following address: Avenida Urdaneta, Esquina Candilito, Edificio El Candil, piso 1, Oficina 1-A, PO Box 16150, Postcode 1011-A.
La Candelaria, Caracas, Venezuela.
By phone or fax to numbers:
Phone (00 (58-212)) … 572.96.31 or 572.99.12 or 572.62.20
Fax (00 (58-212)) … 572.99.08
If you wish, you can write to our e-mails:
Executive Management: lortega@cofavic.org.ve
Administrative Area.: agonzalez@cofavic.org.ve
Legal Area. wchang@cofavic.org.ve <mailto:wchang@cofavic.org.ve>
Communication Area.: coordinacionprensa@cofavic.org.ve or eruiz@cofavic.org.ve
Psycho-social Area.: areapsicosocial @cofavic.org.ve

COFAVIC Activities: 

Document Center:
COFAVIC offers the general public the possibility of research in a library specialized on the issue of human rights, in an archive of periodic publications and in a mimeographed collection of brochures, documents and other printed matter. Information about cases is not given. Prior appointment is required; please call by phone first.

Legal area
We keep a close watch on judicial investigations of violations of human rights in order to help to establish positive jurisprudence precedents that will improve the human rights protection system in Venezuela. We also conduct legal investigations in order to offer suggestions that may improve the administration of justice system. We lobby Public Power authorities, in order to influence in matters that may become a priority in the issue of human rights.

Psycho-social Area
We provide care, individually and collectively in: psychological first aid to the accusing persons and to victims in general; forensic psychological evaluation for special cases; counseling to persons on their reactions; training to human rights defenders and task forces in Psychological First Aid upon the occurrence of human rights violations.
We also provide education and promotion activities (universities, workshops, participation in conferences) on the subjects of the psychological impact to victims of human rights
violations, the options available for redress and the documentation of psychological intervention experiences in the context of human rights violations.

Communication area
We make efforts to promote enough visibility on the issue of human rights in order to contribute to the creation of a culture that favors it. We follow up on the coverage that the national mass media gives to the matter and we publish an educational column in media outside of Caracas.
Educational activities
The creation of a culture in favor of human rights is essential for the prevention of violations of these fundamental rights. Thus, COFAVIC also offers educational activities to communities, young people, members of other organizations, general public and, especially, to civil servants in charge of the administration of justice.

The main axes of our educational efforts are: the struggle against impunity and violence, and the administration of justice.
At present, COFAVIC is conducting academic activities with public officers and with organizations of civil society.

In the first case, the main objective is to train diverse members of key governmental entities, such as prosecutors, police officers and prison officers, in the defense of human rights.
In the second, COFAVIC is carrying out training to members of the organized forms of civil society: community organizations, victims of state violence, members of Non Governmental Organizations, journalists and students.

Likewise, COFAVIC organizes conferences on current issues with the participation of university students, members of NGOs, governmental authorities and general public. The main thrusts are: “Justice and Human rights”, “Democracy, Governance and Human Rights” and “The exercise of civil society”.
Other actions that COFAVIC performs to strengthen democracy are:

Denunciation of cases before the Inter-American Human Rights System:
COFAVIC has denounced before the Inter-American system the most emblematic cases of violations of human rights in Venezuela, which helps to create positive jurisprudence on the subject.
Legislative lobbying
Follow-up of proposed Law projects that will provide specific form to the Human Rights principles that are consecrated both in the Venezuelan Constitution of 1999 and in the international instruments.

Traslation by Jorge Theoktisto/Traducción realizada por: Jorge Theoktisto.