Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Case of El Amparo v. Venezuela
Judgment of January 18, 1995
(Merits)
In the El Amparo Case,
the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, composed of the following judges(* ):
Héctor Fix-Zamudio, President
Hernán Salgado-Pesantes, Vice President
Alejandro Montiel-Argüello, Judge
Máximo Pacheco-Gómez, Judge
Antônio A. Cançado Trindade, Judge;
also present:
Manuel E. Ventura-Robles, Secretary, and
Ana María Reina, Deputy Secretary
delivers the following judgment pursuant to Articles 45 and 46 of the Rules of Procedure of the
Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter "the Rules of Procedure") on the instant case
submitted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter "the Commission" or
"the Inter-American Commission") against the Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter "the
Government" or "Venezuela").
I
1.
This case was submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter "the
Court" or "the Inter-American Court") by the Inter-American Commission by note of January 14,
1994, which was accompanied by Report Nº 29/93 of October 12, 1993. It originated in a petition
(Nº 10.602) against Venezuela lodged with the Secretariat of the Commission on August 10,
1990.
2.
The Commission submitted this case in order for the Court to determine whether there had
been a violation, by the Government, of the following Articles of the American Convention on
Human Rights (hereinafter "the Convention" or "the American Convention"): 2 (Domestic Legal
Effects); 4 (Right to Life); 5 (Right to Humane Treatment); 8(1) (Right to a Fair Trial); 24 (Right
to Equal Protection); 25 (Right to Judicial Protection), and all of the above in relation to Article
1(1) (Obligation to Respect Rights) of the same Convention, for the deaths of
(*) Judge Oliver Jackman abstained from hearing this case due to his previous participation in several stages of
the case while it was being examined by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights.