This week, we had the opportunity to interview Alfredo Romero, Venezuelan, human rights activist, and lawyer, Founder and Director of the NGO ‘Foro Penal’. There, they provide pro bono legal assistance to people arbitrarily detained and their families in Venezuela and some other countries.
-Tell us a little about the Foro Penal? And what were the beginnings of the organization like? How did it all begin?
It is a human rights organization for the defense and assistance of victims of political repression. Victims of human rights violations due to this political repression. This includes people arbitrarily detained for political reasons, tortured, murdered and persecuted.
The Foro Penal is already 20 years old, with its beginnings in an organization called VIVE, until the transformation into the Foro Penal with participation in 29 countries besides Venezuela, with more than 5000 volunteer activists who donate their time to assist the victims.
-What have been the biggest obstacles you have encountered over the years in achieving the Foro’s objectives?
We have the obstacles that any human rights activist working in a dictatorial regime might face. We suffer from constant threats, both members of the organization and myself, which generates a high level of concern.
In the Foro we do apolitical and non-discriminatory work, although we are inevitably involved in it. Many people offer collaboration. Even so, we face many obstacles at the level of courts and prosecutors to carry out our legal work. However, this does not limit our action, as we have structured our scheme to something much more than legal. International, communicational, and social network campaigns allow us to broaden the Foro’s scope of action.
There are always obstacles in this work, especially in a dictatorial regime, but these have been mitigated through strategic litigation plans. Human rights violations are not a success for the Foro Penal or for the country. These violations in Venezuela are what I call the revolving door effect. A progressive incarceration of more and more people, so that’s why our organization focuses on specific assistance to individuals.
–And now with the Covid19 pandemic, how have you handled the situation of the political prisoners? The health of the detainees, their safety.
The pandemic unfortunately leads to worldwide restrictions. In Venezuela these measures have been used to increase population control. During Covid19, the justice system was paralyzed for a year. This implied a lack of access to prisoners, detainees and to the level of communication with their lawyers and families.
Regarding the health conditions, it could be said that it is uncertain. There are some clues of the health conditions of the prisoners and political prisoners, although no official information has ever been received regarding this issue.
-What has made you remain committed during all these years to the struggle for the human and civil rights of political prisoners and their freedom?
When I started this I did not imagine it would last so long, this was not my field initially. It all began when I was serving as an advisor to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, with the murder of an 18 years old man. Following the representation of this young man, the social work has been extended to more than 12 thousand people I have represented directly or indirectly, to this date.
Over time I have realized that this work does not end because there are always people to assist. It is not really a sacrifice, there are many people who feel the satisfaction of helping with our humanitarian social work, this has been the driving force of the Foro Penal. Achieving someone’s freedom generates great satisfaction, despite the obstacles and economic prejudices of working in this field. The fight against human rights violations is not only against this dictatorial regime, but in any scenario where there are these violations.
–What are the challenges facing the Venezuelan Foro Penal, today?
The work of the Foro has been complicated due to the socio-economic condition of the country. Compared to 2016 when gasoline was almost free, now it is costly and difficult to obtain. Currently, this is a relevant transportation issue. Before, the volunteers used to give their time, but now this situation requires a much larger expense to carry out the operation. In addition to that, the police control of the country through the security points and the threats make our work more difficult.
Venezuelan immigration has caused us to lose a large number of volunteers within the country, although this has brought the advantage of forming chapters of the forum outside the country. There are chapters in places such as Israel, Holland, Argentina, Colombia and even Hungary, which have served to assist the cause of Venezuelans abroad.
As far as cases are concerned, in recent years repression has increased not only qualitatively but quantitatively. The menu of repression has increased, assassinations and torture have grow to the point of becoming systematic. Arbitrary detention has enlarged dramatically. Almost sixteen thousand arbitrary detentions since 2014. Communication with prisoners has decreased. The aforementioned problems have given a range of action to the human rights Foro, but it has also complicated the work severely. The human rights defender has obstacles, but it is precisely his job to fight against those obstacles. The war of David vs Goliath.
-What is your current relationship with the UN Human Rights Commission?
There is a constant relationship with the UN Human Rights Commission, the Group on Arbitrary Detentions and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in terms of complaints. Although the effectiveness is not so fast, it has served to increase the cost of human rights in Venezuela. We also serve as human rights advisors in several countries such as Nicaragua. In addition to that, there are also campaigns of helping Venezuelans all over the world.
-What is your view about what is happening at the moment with Cuba and the political prisoners?
Cuba’s tradition has always been political repression, but in recent years Venezuela has surpassed it in terms of violations. We do not know what the outcome of these latest protests in Cuba will be, what we do know is that the great appeasement that had been happening in Cuba is being broken by this popular revolt.
My book, ‘The Repression Clock: A Strategy Behind Autocratic Regimes’, explains how these regimes exist in a 4-stage cycle, appeasement, awakening, uprising, and darkness. Cuba has been in that appeasement for many, many years. The modus-operandi of these regimes is to get the population so tired that they lose hope and put them to ‘sleep’ again. If anyone knows how to do this, it is the Cubans. We will see the outcome in the upcoming days.
–How do you see the future of the Foro Penal? And, if someone reads this interview and wants to know more about your work and how to help, where should they go?
The best way to collaborate with the Foro Penal is to sign up as a volunteer, both lawyers and collaborators from all sectors through our home page https://foropenal.com. As for the future, the Foro Penal will continue to do the same work it has been doing, and if at some point there is a process of democratic transition, we will have a great level of prominence in criminal and human rights matters for Venezuela.
-Now, more on a personal level, we know that you are a musician and that you have even performed concerts! How do you use music for your cause? What inspires you in the midst of all that you experience with the work of the Foro?
Music has been such an important factor in our struggle that lately we have been using the music forums as a mechanism to channel the message to sectors of the population that are not aware of the need to respect human rights. Music has served as a connector and attraction for people. There are many areas with almost zero levels of communication that have been influenced by music.
We are finishing a documentary about how we make the message navigate much more powerfully within the emotions of individuals. It has also influenced the freedom of the message. The government does not repress a popular gathering with music with the same intensity as a political speech. Music has become an important vector for our struggle for human rights.
