2 2009, Mr. Natera’s mother turned to the Public Prosecutors’ Office with Jurisdiction in Fundamental Rights located in the city of Bolivar, State of Bolivar, in order to state that her son was imprisoned in the “Oriental penitentiary center” and that he has been missing since November 8, 2009; ii) on November 9, 2009, the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons made “requests of investigation and information with a sense of urgency” before the Attorney General of the Republic and the National Office of Penitentiary Services; iii) on November 10, 2009, a request of “investigation before the Attorney General of the Republic and all the competent security bodies” for the disappearance of Mr. Natera was published in the regional media Correo del Caroní, and iv) on November 16, 2009, Mr. Natera’s mother filed a habeas corpus petition before the Court on Duty in Control Functions of the Second Circuit of the Criminal Legal Jurisdiction of the Bolivar State – Territorial Extension of Puerto Ordaz;1 c) on November 9, 2009, an official from the First Court for the Execution of Criminal Judgments of the Second Circuit of the Legal Jurisdiction of the State of Bolívar came before the mentioned penitentiary center to notify Mr. Natera “of a decision issued by the Court of Appeals of the Bolívar State,” without being able to verify his presence, a situation to which the Director and the General Secretariat of the penitentiary establishment was so informed;2 d) on November 20, 2009, in accordance with the mentioned background and with that stated in Article XIV of the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons, the Commission sent an urgent request for information to the State so it would inform, within a 48-hour period, on the whereabouts of Mr. Eduardo Natera; his physical state; indicate the reasons why contact and visits with his next of kin had not been possible, and any other information regarding his whereabouts and situation.3 On that same day, the State requested a “sensible extension” to present the information requested. Through a communication of November 23, 2009, the Commission granted the State a 24-hour extension, and e) on November 23, 2009, the State informed on some of the domestic investigations regarding Mr. Natera’s situation. Specifically, the State mentioned that the 68° Section of the Public Prosecutors’ Office at a National Level with Full Competence started a criminal investigation regarding the alleged escape or physical disappearance of Mr. Eduardo José Natera; that Mr. Natera was seen in an automobile that matches the characteristics mentioned (supra Having Seen paragraph 2(a)) and that seems to correspond as belonging to a captain of the National Guard that worked at that penitentiary center; that the Public Prosecutors’ Office assigned to the case called upon the Third Court of First Instance in Control Functions of the Criminal Legal Circuit of the Bolívar State to issue an arrest warrant for the mentioned captain and another 16 officials, for the alleged commission of the crimes of Evasion Aided by a Public Official, Inappropriate Corruption and Conspiracy 1 Cfr. Brief of the filing of the habeas corpus before the Court on Duty in Control Functions of the Second Circuit of the Criminal Legal Jurisdiction of the Bolívar State – Territorial extension of Puerto Ordaz of November 16, 2009, attachment 2 to the brief of provisional measures of November 28, 2009. 2 Cfr. Brief of the filing of the habeas corpus before the Court on Duty in Control Functions of the Second Circuit of the Criminal Legal Jurisdiction of the Bolívar State – Territorial extension of Puerto Ordaz of November 16, 2009, attachment 2 to the brief of provisional measures of November 28, 2009. 3 Cfr. Letter of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights requesting information of November 20, 2009, attachment 3 to the request of provisional measures of November 28, 2009.

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