The Case in Eight Slides: Leopoldo López vs. State of Venezuela in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
by Democracia en juego :: Democracy on Trial on Feb 14, 2011
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Eight slides to explain the case. On March 1 and 2, 2011, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (the Court) in San José, Costa Rica will hold a public hearing to decide whether or not the Venezuela...
Eight slides to explain the case. On March 1 and 2, 2011, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (the Court) in San José, Costa Rica will hold a public hearing to decide whether or not the Venezuelan government arbitrarily disqualified opposition leader Leopoldo López from exercising his political rights.
1)
Democracy on Trial: In March, the Venezuelan State will once again come before a court of international justice for political rights violations.
This time is the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (the Court), the hemisphere's highest court, will hear a case on political disqualification, in particular that of Leopoldo López.
2)
In 2008, Leopoldo López was serving as mayor of the Chacao municipality in Caracas. He was also preparing his candidacy for Metropolitan Mayor of Greater Caracas, enjoying voter support of 65 percent, according to all polls.
3)
Without any trial, let alone receipt of a criminal conviction, the Comptroller General of the Republic, Clodosbaldo Russian, politically disqualified López and more than 300 other candidates. None were given the opportunity to defend themselves.
4)
When attempting to register his candidacy for Metropolitan Mayor, the electoral council rejected López' request, stating simply that "this person is politically disqualified."
5)
López went before the Supreme Court to request annulment of the political disqualifications. Ignoring the Constitution, the Justices ratified the decision of the Comptroller. None of the hundreds of candidates, including Leopoldo López, could compete in the 2008 elections.
6)
Thus began the quest for international justice. In 2009, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) concluded that the Venezuelan State had violated the rights of López and requested the annulment of the political disqualifications. In 2010, the IACHR formally charged the Venezuelan government and called them before the Court.
7)
In 2011, the trial before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights begins. The initial hearing will take place in San José, Costa Rica on March 1st and 2nd. The case is the first-ever related to the violation of political rights for the Court, founded in 1969. The Venezuelan State will present a defense, call witnesses and actively participate in the trial. López is called before the Court as the victim.
8)
The Court's decision will be crucial for the future of democracy in the region and particularly in Venezuela. Approximately 300 other political leaders continue to be excluded from participating in elections by the Venezuelan government. They too could benefit from a ruling that demands the annulment of the disqualifications. In addition, the Court's decision will set important precedent in the hemisphere and could avoid the use of political disqualifications as a tool of persecution that weakens democracy throughout the region.
For more information on the case and to offer your support, visit: http://democracyontrial.org
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