INTER - AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS COMISION INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS COMISSÃO INTERAMERICANA DE DIREITOS HUMANOS COMMISSION INTERAMÉRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ORGANIZACIÓN DE LOS ESTADOS AMERICANOS WASHINGTON, D.C. 2 0 0 0 6 EEUU February 22, 2011 Ref.: Case No. 12.605 Joe Luís Castillo González et.al. Venezuela Mr. Secretary: I am pleased to address you on behalf of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in order to file Case No. 12.605, Joe Luís Castillo González v. the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter “the State,” “the Venezuelan State” or “Venezuela”), before the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The State ratified the American Convention on Human Rights on August 9, 1977, and accepted the contentious jurisdiction of the Court on June 24, 1981. The Commission has designated Commissioner Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, and Executive Secretary of the IACHR, Santiago A. Canton, as its delegates. Likewise, Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, Deputy Executive Secretary, and Silvia Serrano Guzmán and María José Veramendi Villa, attorneys at the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR will serve as legal advisors. In accordance with Article 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Court, the Commission is enclosing with this communication a copy of report 120/10 prepared in accordance with Article 50 of the American Convention, as well as a copy of the entire file before the Inter-American Commission (Appendix I) and the annexes used in drafting report 120/10 (Annexes). Said merits report was notified to the Venezuelan State by means of communication of November 22, 2010, granting it a two-month term to inform on the implementation of the recommendations. On January 21, 2011, the Venezuelan State rejected the conclusions arrived at by the Commission in its report 120/10. The State did not provide any information on its compliance with the recommendations of the IACHR. The Commission submits the instant case to the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court due to the need to obtain justice and the State’s failure to comply with the recommendations. Mr. Pablo Saavedra Alessandri, Secretary Inter-American Court of Human Rights P.O. Box 6906-1000 San José, Costa Rica Enclosures