4 than 280 investigations of human rights crimes in Venezuela, it litigates cases before the inter-American system of human rights and it also carries out prevention work by raising the awareness of public opinion and organized sectors of Venezuelan civil society”; b) Following the judgment delivered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the El Caracazo case, COFAVIC began to receive a series of threats and acts of harassment that have been increasing constantly, particularly after the events of April 2002 and with regard to its work as a litigant before the inter-American system, as a result of which, it began to be subjected to a systematic campaign of telephone calls, e-mails and visits from individuals who proffered threats against the life and safety of several of its members; c) On one occasion, while working in the state of Falcón, the COFAVIC investigation group “was approached by about eight officials of the Police Armed Forces” of that State, who “tried to intimidate them and make them desist from the work they were doing”, which consisted in “collecting information and to meet with the victims of executions by alleged para-police groups in that State […]”; d) The activities of COFAVIC have been affected by the violence which is occurring in the area where its offices are located and by the absence of safety guarantees. The members of COFAVIC have been called assassins and have been linked to opposition groups in an attempt to cast doubts on the legitimacy of the work it has carried out in Venezuela for over 14 years. Near the Mayor’s office in the municipality of El Libertador there was a poster with a photograph of Liliana Ortega with a text stating: “reconócelos por traidores a la Patria, golpistas” [these people are traitors, coupists]; e) “[S]ince the provisional measures, [she had] not had any meeting with the State of Venezuela to set up the protection measures [...] requested.” “[T]he police protection [of COFAVIC] had been totally unreliable, [and] although the Metropolitan Police had tried hard to comply with the protection, [...] the Ministry of the Interior and Justice and the Ministry of Defense had always put obstacles in the way of this protection being regular and truly effective”; f) The “evidence regarding the acts of harassment and intimidation” had been reported to the Office of the Attorney General. However, the Office of the Attorney General retains the original prosecutors,” who “for nine months have not made any significant progress in the investigations.” On January 30, 2003, the Attorney General was requested to provide a copy of the files on the acts of intimidation and harassment against COFAVIC, and there has been no reply to this communication to date; g) “A communication [was sent] to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, detailing the measures that might improve the safety situation of the members of COFAVIC,” requesting that the officers of the Metropolitan Police be provided with appropriate equipment to allow them to carry out their work adequately; that a series of measures be taken to protect the other members of COFAVIC who are beneficiaries of the provisional measures; and that an