Attorney General Announces Prosecutions in Political Murder are Suspended

Caracas, December 19, 2006 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Last week, Venezuelan Attorney General Isaías Rodríguez released the results of the investigation to discover the identities of the masterminds behind the murder of public prosecutor Danilo Anderson in 2004. The case will be put on hold, but could be reopened in the event of new evidence.

Of the five suspects, the case of Cuban dissident Salvador Romani was dismissed. Those of the co-owner of the Globovision television channel, Nelson Mezerhane, of Ex-General

Eugenio Añez Núñez, of ex-police officer Fernando Jesús Moreno Palmar, and of the journalist Patricia Poleo have been suspended. The Attorney General’s Office believes that "there is not enough clear and convincing evidence in connection with the crime that resulted in the death of public prosecutor Danilo Anderson." But the cases of the last three could be reopened.

Regarding the last suspect, Patricia Poleo, who has fled the country and is currently believed to be in Miami, Rodríguez said, "The proceedings in connection with her should wait until the Venezuelan legal formalities are met to press the relevant charges as Venezuelan law expressly prohibits prosecution in absentia."

Charges can’t be brought against Poleo until she returns to Venezuela. Rodríguez added that the only thing that can be done is to implement the necessary mechanisms for her search and arrest.

The Venezuelan government thinks the killing of Anderson was politically motivated as he was investigating about 400 opposition leaders and businessmen who supported the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Chavez. Anderson had also investigated an opposition mayor and 59 dissident military officers. He was killed almost exactly two years ago, in November 2004, when a bomb went off under his car.

At the time of the murder Isaías Rodríguez said, "We will find the guilty parties if we have to dig up the Earth, look under every stone. And the guilty parties will be found."

Three men were convicted of carrying out Anderson’s murder in December 2005. They received sentences of between 27 and 30 years. Authorities accused Poleo and the other four of being the "intellectual authors" or masterminds of the attack.

Rodríguez yesterday defended himself from opposition criticism for leaving the case open. He said he had enough "grounds" for this and that he wanted to avoid giving the suspects immunity.