Open letter by Alcedo Mora’s son calling for solidarity

By Alcedo Mora Carrero
Photo credit: La Guarura

Venezuelanvoices.org: This letter by Alcedo Mora Carrero was presented at the 2019 Left Forum in New York, at the panel titled “Perspectives of the Left Opposition”. As the forceful disappearance of his father arrives at the five year mark this February 27th, we stand in solidarity with the demand for justice.

Dear comrades and fellow activists,

I want to tell you of the case of my father, leftist social leader Alcedo Mora, who after denouncing corruption and gasoline contraband in the state oil company, PDVSA, was a victim of forced disappearance by corrupt government functionaries on February 27th of 2015. On that same date, the Vergel brothers, Colombian political refugees residing in the Venezuelan state of Merida, were also disappeared alongside my father. Alcedo Mora had warned friends and comrades through text messages that he was a victim of stalking and harassment by state functionaries, and that he thought they wanted to falsely frame him for a crime.

Alcedo Mora is a revolutionary social leader who participated in different historical struggles in Venezuela. In the ’70s, he was a guerrilla fighter and militant with the National Liberation Armed Forces (the FALN); after a long period, he joined the PRV-Ruptura-Tercer Camino current. In the ’80s, during the bipartisan regime, he was a victim of forced disappearance by the DISIP political police, and after several months in captivity, during which he was subjected to various forms of torture, he was freed thanks to the actions of human rights organizations.

At present, four and a half years have passed since my father’s physical absence. We have denounced this situation to all institutions: the Attorney General, the National Assembly, the Public Defender; we have informed human rights organizations; we have demanded from the government a full investigation on the fates of my father and the Vergel brothers. The current Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, when assuming the office of Public Defender in 2016, tried to keep the case shelved, and tried, by all means, to keep everything quiet; when promoted to Attorney General in 2017, he committed to announce the results of the investigation, and in several occasions declared to media that public announcements of the case would be made; but he has not kept his word: no information related to any advancement on the investigation has been given.

In 2017, the father of the Vergel brothers is kidnapped by paramilitary agents linked to the State political police, the SEBIN; after several days in captivity, he managed to escape, and denounced that his kidnappers had warned him to stop investigating the fates of his sons and Alcedo Mora, and that they had been murdered.

We thank our comrades and friends, and all organizations that have spoken out about this case of human rights violation; to organizations in Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Chile and Brazil, for their support and solidarity in spreading information and multiplying our denunciation. 

I invite activists to stand in solidarity and spread the word about this case, support us and with one voice press the Venezuelan government for the reappearance of Alcedo Mora and the attainment of justice.

Alcedo Mora Carrero