Coral Wynter & Jim McIlroy, Caracas
Thousands of women gathered in front of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) on June 8 to demonstrate against the partial annulment of the law dealing with "violence against women and the family". The event, organised by the National Institute of Women (Inamujer) and other women's organisations, delivered a petition of 10,000 signatures to the TSJ, protesting the decision taken by the majority of magistrates on May 9 this year.
The constitutional court of the TSJ had decided to allow men who had carried out a violent act or indicated the intention of taking violent action against women or children to go free for 72 hours after an official complaint is made. The decision was made by five male magistrates against two votes by the women magistrates, Luisa Morales and Carmen Zuleta. Morales and Zuleta came down from the TSJ building to receive the petition from Maria Leon, president of Inamujer, and Ely de Navas, vice-minister for the protection of citizens.
Featured at the June 8 rally were banners and placards with slogans such as, "The Supreme Court must respect the women of Venezuela. No to violence against women", and "We defend the revolution, we defend the law concerning violence against women".
"What will women who have been raped do if the police cannot immediately detain the aggressor?", asked Luzbelia Marin, on behalf of the women's organisation Manuelita Saenz Movement of Women (Momumas). "What is the reply of the Venezuelan state, through its institutions or other bodies, when the attorney-general's office made the announcement that they do not have sufficient lawyers to deal with all the cases of violence against women? How can [the state] guarantee real and effective protection for the lives of those of us who have been raped?"
In the face of widespread complaints, attorney-general Isaias Rodriguez apologised for his decision to ratify the legal change. Leon said, "If the attorney-general has asked for our pardon and recognised his error, then the magistrates should do the same". She added that "These five sexist magistrates have preferred to sacrifice justice for a technical judgement, leaving women and their sons and daughters practically unprotected".
Corina Fumero, in charge of international relations for Inamujer, explained to Green Left Weekly that three years ago the magistrates began examining the constitution to decide on suitable punishments for crimes committed, taking into account objections received. "But the magistrates have made a decision that eliminates punishment or sanctions against the behaviour of an aggressor. These women don't have any security and have lost the protection of the law. We are not going to permit this, and are demanding justice before the law.
"Domestic violence is a problem not only in Venezuela but in all parts of the world. But the five magistrates have apparently voted for political reasons, not for constitutional reasons. This is against the revolution; it is against women."
The June 9 Diario Vea newspaper reported that the president of the Commission for Women, the Family and Youth — National Assembly deputy Gabriela Ramirez — said, "How can a woman demonstrate that she is in danger when her husband attacks her psychologically and physically in the privacy of their home? If the judgement for the detention of the aggressor has to be made when the tribunal has proof of the fact, by that time the woman can be murdered."
There is some evidence of this, as Leon stated in a recent television program that 48 women in Venezuela have been murdered so far this year by their husbands. In 2004, more than 3000 cases of women murdered by their partners were documented. It is estimated that only 10% of all incidents of domestic violence are reported in Venezuela.
Yurbin Aguilar, who heads Inamujer's domestic violence prevention campaign, told Green Left Weekly, "In 2003, when the law was proclaimed, we in Inamujer negotiated, we held meetings, and we made representations to put this law in place. This is a machista decision. They are not taking into account the reality of the situation that women face. This is a sentence of death to many women."
From Green Left Weekly, June 28, 2006.
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