VICTIMIZATION REPORT: OLD AGE AT RISK. VIOLENT DEATHS OF OLDER PEOPLE IN VENEZUELA.

VICTIMIZATION REPORT:

OLD AGE AT RISK

Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

JULY - DECEMBER 2023

«© Convite, A.C. [2024]. All Rights Reserved».

Créditos

To quote this report:

Thais Maingon.

REPORT ON VIOLENT DEATHS OF OLDER PEOPLE IN VENEZUELA, JULY-DECEMBER, 2023. Convite, A.C. Caracas, Venezuela.

This report was prepared by the Research Coordination Unit of Convite, A.C., Thais Maingon, in her capacity as senior researcher, under the supervision of Project Manager Francelia Ruiz, and in coordination with Luis Francisco Cabezas, Executive Director of Convite, A.C.

Graphic design and layout: Mayrim Porras Ponceleón

Cover photo: Danie Franco via Unsplash

VICTIMIZATION REPORT: OLD AGE AT RISK. VIOLENT DEATHS OF OLDER PEOPLE IN VENEZUELA.

JULY-DECEMBER, 2023

Summary

Between July and December 2023, as per records, one hundred ninety-three (193) older people were the victims of violent deaths. Thirty percent (30%) of said deaths were categorized as violent deaths from specific causes (i.e. mechanical asphyxiation, stabbing, gunshot wounds, beating, and other deaths for which no information was available), and most involved some type of fight or brawl. Twenty-seven percent (27%) were attributable to accidents such as road traffic accidents, domestic accidents and accidents in the workplace), while twenty-three percent (23%) were caused by the injuries sustained by the victims were ran over by a motor vehicle. Three (3) deaths were the government’s responsibility, either by action, omission or consent or acquiescence, directly or by inciting others. The fact that it is the ineluctable obligation of the government to protect the life of all citizens, particularly that of the most vulnerable, including older people, as established in numerous international treaties, agreements and conventions, couldn’t be stressed more. Twenty-two (22) older persons committed suicide and nineteen (19) died of unknown or unidentified causes over the period in question.

Keywords: Human Rights; Complex Humanitarian Emergency; Violent Deaths; Older People; Impunity; Homicides; Robbery; Negligence; Crisis; Public Policies.

#OldAgeAtRisk

In preparing this report, the same methodological and conceptual guidelines for classifying violent deaths of older people as those which were first used in the 2019 Victimization Report of Older People, updated for 2022, were applied. (Visit https://conviteac.org/).

2. Violence and Old Age: Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela.

Over the second semester of 2023, as many as one hundred ninety-three (193) violent deaths of older people were recorded. Thirty-one percent (31%) were categorized as violent deaths from specific causes involving criminal acts or fights, which is eighteen percent (18%) of the total causes of violent death of older people recorded during the entire period.

On the other hand, there were forty-five (45) violent deaths due to abandonment, neglect or lack of skill. Accidents were the leading cause of said violent deaths, accounting for

Victimization

twenty-seven percent (27%) of the total number of violent deaths. Twenty-three percent (23%) of the violent deaths of older people were the result of the injuries they sustained when hit on the road and ran over by a motor vehicle, while one point six percent (1.6%) of the total of violent deaths were directly attributable to the government, mainly due to its failure to provide quality care in a timely manner. There were other violent deaths, approximately forty-five percent (45%) of the total number of violent deaths of older people over the period at issue, for which no information was readily available. (See Chart 1).

There were eighty-seven (87) deaths resulting from other forms of violence, including miscellaneous accidents (63%) and suicide: twenty-two (22) older people —seventeen (17) men and five (5) women— took their own lives. (See Chart 2).

Older women are less exposed to violent death than men are. As per the information collected for the second semester of 2023, seventy-two percent (72%), or 139, of the violent deaths recorded were of older men, while twenty-eight percent (28%), or 54, of the victims were women aged 55 and older. (See Chart 3).

CHART 1

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Cause of Death.

July-December, 2023.

Specific Causes

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CHART 2

Other Types of Violent Deaths of Older People. (In %)

July-December, 2023

Suicides

Accidents

Other

CHART 3

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Gender.

July-December, 2023

Victimization Report: Old Age at Risk. Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

The median age of the older people who died violently was 69. The age range of fifty-eight percent (58%) of the older people who sustained a violent death was 60 to 70, followed by those aged 71 to 80 (27%). Twelve percent (12%) of the violent deaths occurred in older people between 81 and 90 years of age. There were five (5) women between 55 and 59 who lost their lives violently. (See Chart 4).

Most violent deaths recorded by gender and age range were those of people between 60 and 70 years of age (85 men and 27 women. (See Chart 5).

Three (3) older people whose nationality is other than Venezuelan died violently over the period in question: one (1) German national, one (1) Colombian national and one (1) Portuguese national.

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Age Range. (In %)

July-December, 2023

CHART 4

#OldAgeAtRisk

CHART 5 Violent Deaths of Older People, by Gender and Age Range. (In %) July-December, 2023

CHART 6 Perpetrators of Violent Deaths of Older People and their Relationship with the Victims. July-December, 2023. (Porcentage of Total Perpetrators Known to the Victims)

Friends, Acquaintances.

Children, Grandchildren. Spouse, Partner. Siblings, Nephews/Nieces, and Other Relatives.

Victimization Report: Old Age at Risk. Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

2.1. Identification of Perpetrators in Violent Deaths of Older People

Eighteen (18) of the people responsible for the violent death of older people had some connection, relationship, or direct kinship with the victims: fifty percent (50%) were the victims’ neighbors, friends, or acquaintances; seventeen percent (17%) were the victims’ children or grandchildren; twenty-two percent (22%) were the victims’ siblings, nephews and nieces and other family members; and one percent (1%) were the victims’ domestic partners and spouses. (See Chart 6).

In four (4) of the violent death cases referred to above, the perpetrators were the victims’ siblings, nephews/nieces and other relatives. Three (3) of the victims were killed by their own children or grandchildren, whereas nine (9) of the victims were killed by their neighbors, friends, or acquaintances. In two (2) cases, the perpetrators were the spouses or partners of the victims. The main situation involving said crimes was a fight or a brawl (9), while five (5) were committed out of vengeance/retribution.

2.2. Violent Deaths of Older People from Specific Causes

The most frequent causes of violent deaths from specific causes reported over this period include:

Accidents (motor-vehicle, domestic, in the workplace, and other): Twenty-eight percent (28%) of all violent deaths of older people occurred during an accident, including (19) in motor-vehicle/road accidents, twenty-nine (29) in household accidents, and two (2) in accidents at the workplace. There were also six (6) older people who died from drawing.1

Stabbing: Thirteen (13) older people died from some kind of blunt wound inflicted by a sharp object, including six (6) women.

Beatings: Fifteen (15) older people, mostly men, died from the injuries they sustained when beaten in the middle of a robbery or a brawl or fight.

Run-overs: Forty-five (45) older people, mostly men, were run over and died as a result; this figure accounts for twenty-three percent (23%) of all violent deaths recorded over the period.

Suicide: Twenty-two (22) older people took their own lives, including seventeen (17) men.

Lack of Assistance: Three (3) older people, including one (1) inmate, died from

1 An older man, who was a mountain climber, was found dead in Mérida after a month of his being reported a missing person.

#OldAgeAtRisk

causes directly attributable to the government because of the latter’s failure to provide them with healthcare on a timely manner.

Firearms: Eight (8) older people, mostly men, died from gunshot wounds to their bodies.

Mechanical asphyxiation: Three (3) older people died from strangulation or suffocation by others during a robbery or a brawl or fight.

CHART 7

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Specific Cause. (In %)

July-December, 2023

Victimization Report: Old Age at Risk. Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

Guillermo Antonio Álvarez Contreras, aged 68, was murdered by Carlos Jesús Pérez Rivero, aged 34. The latter, who was friends with the victim's son, was staying at the Álvarez´s when Guillermo caught him red handed going through his belongings. An argument broke out and Carlos forcibly subdued and strangled Guillermo, who died on the spot. Carlos tied Guillermo’s upper and lower extremities and hid his body under a bed in the master bedroom, and then fled the place. [El Regional del Zulia, 30-07-2023].

Teams from the Office of the Coordinator of Investigations of Crimes against Persons of the Municipal Delegation of Barquisimeto arrested Exio José Barreto Páez, aged 63, for the murder of his mother Columba Mercedes Páez, aged 85, and for the serious injuries he inflicted on his 93-year-old father. The investigations revealed that Exio would constantly beat his parents; only that during his last bout of violence, he actually killed his mother. [El Regional del Zulia, 01-08-2023].

The perpetrators were nephews of the victim, who took them into his home 10 years ago when their parents died. The morning of the crime, the perpetrators had a heated argument with their aunt Rosa Elena Gómez, aged 66, because they couldn’t find 40 bolívares they claimed were theirs. In the heat of the moment, one of the nephews reached for a knife and inflicted a stab wound to his aunt's head. They cleaned up the place so as not to raise suspicion, hid the murder weapon, and pretended that the victim had been robbed by strangers. [Alertas24, 9-08-2023].

Candelario Ramón Bolívar, aged 62, who was a resident of the Valencia Municipality, state of Carabobo, got into a heated fight with his neighbors over some community rules of conduct and was hit multiple times with a wooden stick in the head and other parts of his body. He was taken to a local hospital, where he eventually died. [Foco Informativo, 08-10-2023]

#OldAgeAtRisk

Crucito Salas, a 69-year-old man engaged in the production of agricultural products, was hacked to death with a machete near his farm, which is located in Las Lajas sector of the Manuel Monge Municipality, state of Yaracuy. Salas had been reported missing and his rapidly decomposing body was found inside his property. According to the authorities, he was tied up and wrapped around a hammock and showed visible signs of stab wounds. The motive, as per the police, is that he was assaulted during a robbery [Hispano Post 23-08-2023].

An agronomist and poultry farmer was killed by a blunt blow to the head inside the farm where he worked in the Sabanita de Guigue sector, Carlos Arvelo Municipality, state of Carabobo. The victim was identified as Héctor Ramón Sarmiento, aged 73. Sarmiento's relatives do not know the exact details surrounding the crime, but one possibility is that it might have occurred on Thursday night during a robbery. His body was found on Friday morning. [Sandy Aveledo, 22-08-2023].

José Rafael Centeno García, aged 61, was about to open the gate of his workshop, which is located in the Infante Municipality, state of Guárico, when he was intercepted by some individuals who shot at him multiple times. The deceased was assisted by his fellow workers and taken to the Dr. Rafael Zamora Arévalo Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. There is no clear information as to what exactly happened, but one hypothesis is that the crime might have perpetrated by someone seeking vengeance. [El Tubazo Digital, 26-08-2023].

An 88-year-old woman was found without vital signs inside her house, located on Camoruco Street, El Castaño sector, Girardot municipality, Aragua state. The octogenarian was injured with a knife by unknown assailants who entered the home to rob her, according to official sources. [800 Noticias, 09-06-2023].

Victimization Report: Old Age at Risk. Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

2.3. Violent Deaths of Elderly People, by Motive

As shown in Chart 8, eleven (11) older people, which is nineteen percent (19%) of all older people reported dead over the period, were killed during or as a result of a brawl or a fight, eight (8) were killed out of vengeance or retribution, and seven (7) died due to the injuries they sustained during a robbery. Most were men. There was no known motive for forty-six percent (46%) of the violent deaths recorded at the time of the report. (See Chart 8).

CHART 8

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Motive. (In %)

July-December, 2023.

2.4. Violent Deaths of Older People, by Federal Entity

The total number of violent deaths of older people reported over the last semester of 2023 occurred in twenty-one federal entities and in the Metropolitan Area of Caracas (MAC). Just over fifty percent (50%) occurred in four (4) states and in the MAC, including the state of Aragua, 17.6%; the state of Carabobo, 13.5%; the state of Mérida, 8.3%; and the state of Zulia, 7.8%, while the number of violent deaths in five (5) federal entities, namely Delta Amacuro, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa and Yaracuy, was two (2) each. (See Chart 9).

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CHART 9

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Federal Entity. (In %)

July-December, 2023

Victimization Report: Old Age at Risk. Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

2.5.

Violent Deaths of Older People that are the Direct Responsibility of the Government, by Federal Entity

During the second semester of 2023, three (3) violent deaths of older people were reported which were the direct responsibility of the government. Said deaths occurred in three (3) federal entities and they were all due to the government’s failure to provide healthcare on a timely manner. (See Chart 10)

2.6. Violent Deaths of Older People by Month of Occurrence

As shown in Chart 11, the months of July and August were those where the highest number of violent deaths of older people was recorded, with forty-one (41) deaths each, followed by the month of September, with forty (40) deaths. October was the month with the lowest number of deaths, with seventeen (17) violent deaths. (See Chart 11).

10

Number of Violent Deaths of Older People that are the Direct Responsibility of the Government, by Federal Entity. July-December, 2023.

CHART

Aragua Trujillo Zulia

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CHART 11

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Month of Occurrence.

July-December, 2023

3.3. Violent Deaths of Older People in 2023

VIOLENT DEATHS OF OLDER PEOPLE IN 2023

Specific Causes

Abandonment, Neglect, or Lack of Skill

Direct

A total of three hundred fifty (350) violent deaths of older people were recorded in 2023. Forty-five percent (45%) of said violent deaths occurred during the first semester of the year, whereas fifty-five percent (55%) occurred during the second semester. The trends in terms of type of violent death were generally similar in both semesters. The number of violent deaths of older people recorded for the second semester of the year which are the direct responsibility of the government was half the number recorded for the first semester. There were more deaths due to accidents and suicides during the second semester. There are no substantial differences between both semesters in terms of the number of deaths recoded by gender or age range. (See charts 12, 13 and 14).

Approximately eighty-four percent (84%) of the older people who died violently in 2023 were aged 60 to 80. The trend remained unchanged in both semesters of the year. (See Chart 15).

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CHART 12

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Cause of Death. (In %)

Venezuela, 2023

CHART 13

Other Types of Violent Deaths of Older People. (In %)

Venezuela, 2023

CHART 14

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Gender. (In %) Venezuela, 2023

January - June

- December

CHART 15 Violent Deaths of Older People, by Age Range and Gender. (In %) Venezuela, 2023.

#OldAgeAtRisk

In 2023, the total number of violent deaths of older people where the perpetrators were related to the deceased was similar in both semesters: nineteen (19) during the first semester, and eighteen (18) during the second semester. However, the number of violent deaths of older people reported for the first semester of the year where the perpetrators were the neighbors, friends or acquaintances of the victims was higher than in the second semester. There were no violent deaths of older people in the first semester where the perpetrators were directly related to the victims (children/grandchildren).

CHART 16

Perpetrators of Violent Crimes against Older People and their Relationship with the Deceased. (In %) Venezuela, 2023

Neighbour, Friend, Acquaintance.

Sibling, Nephew/Niece Other Relatives.

The trend in the number of violent deaths of older people by specific causes during the two semesters of the year was generally similar. However, it should be noted that there were significant variations in three of the causes of death: deaths due to run-overs doubled in the second semester, with forty-five (45) deaths, vs. twenty-three (23) in the first semester; there were ten (10) deaths by mechanical asphyxiation in the first semester, vs. three (3) in the second semester; and the number of suicides increased from fourteen (14) in the first semester to twenty-two (22) in the second semester.

Victimization Report: Old Age at Risk. Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

CHART 17

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Specific Cause (In %) Venezuela, 2023

CHART 18

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Motive (In %)

#OldAgeAtRisk

Similarly, the trends in the number of violent deaths of older people by motive were similar in both semesters. However, as seen in Chart 18, the number of violent deaths of older people due to injuries sustained during or as a result of a robbery dropped by almost half in the second semester. During the first semester of the year, twelve (12) older people were murdered during a robbery, while only seven (7) were killed during a robbery in the second semester.

In the first semester of the year, older people died violently in sixteen (16) states and in the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, whereas during the second semester, the violent death of older people was reported in twenty (20) federal entities and in the MAC. In the second semester, the number of violent deaths of older people occurred in the MAC and in the states of Anzoátegui, Aragua and Carabobo was higher than in the rest of the federal entities, which showed a similar trend during both semesters. (See Chart 19).

Victimization Report: Old Age at Risk. Violent Deaths of Older People in Venezuela

CHART 19

Violent Deaths of Older People, by Federal Entity (In %)

2023