Gilber Caro

Activism

Caro has always fought for human rights, with his sister describing him as a "social activist",

When Juan Requesens was detained and humiliated, Caro made an impassioned speech in the National Assembly on 14 August 2018, where he stripped to his underwear (like Requesens had been in a prison video) and said that a man's dignity is not measured by his state of dress, as part of national underwear protests in solidarity with his fellow politician.

2019 disappearance and detentions During the 2019 presidential crisis, Caro said that he did not want help from the "gringos" in the United States or military intervention to help Venezuela, saying "I am going to free my country". He later told Te Lo Cuento that "speaking in the first person" was a mistake, and that he meant all Venezuelans.

On 26 April 2019, Caro was detained a second time. The National Assembly considers that the arrest goes against Caro's parliamentary immunity. UN representative Ravina Shamdasani insisted that Caro was not brought before a tribunal in the 48 hours after his detention as required by Venezuelan law. Guaidó, the National Assembly, OAS General Secretary Almagro and the UN Human Rights office condemned the new arrest as a violation of parliamentary immunity.

On 15 May, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued a protective measure on Gilber Caro and gave 7 working days to Maduro administration to report on Caro's well-being and process. By 24 May, Caro had still not been seen; his lawyer was informed that he was held at El Helicoide, but when people tried to reach him the guards at Helicoide said he was not being held there. One of Caro's sisters suggested that they were not allowed to see him because the guards "did something to him". On 30 May, magistrates announced that Caro would have a court hearing that day, to happen at Fort Paramacay in Naguanagua, but this did not happen; the court explained that it is not permitted to transport prisoners from Helicoide to Paramacay and so the hearing could not happen.

On the evening of Monday 17 June, Caro was released. He was received by delegates from the Grupo de Boston, though his condition is unknown. Voice of America report that his freedom comes only a few days before the UN Human Rights Commission's planned inspection on 19 June. Though his lawyers informed the press, the Grupo de Boston were the first to know of his release.

On 20 December, Caro was detained for a third time. Four other lawmakers were also indicted in December; Popular Will consider that Caro's detention is part of a series of actions by the Maduro administration to force a boycott of the reelection of Juan Guaidó as President of the National Assembly on 5 January 2020. FAES operations usually focus on poor neighborhoods and the squad has been accused of carrying thousands of extrajudicial killings. This arrest would be the first time that FAES deals with a public figure. He will face additional charges after police viewed video which showed the fatal crash was caused by Caro running a red light.

Personal life Caro has a daughter, and he also began acting as a paternal figure to his nephew after his sister's husband died. At least one of his sisters has left Venezuela, a departure he missed whilst in prison.