DISIP, the Dirección Nacional de los Servicios de Inteligencia y Prevención ("National Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services"), is the premier intelligence agency in Venezuela. It was established in March 1969 by then-president Rafael Caldera. DISIP is an internal security force subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. As of October 2009, the Minister of the Interior and Justice of the Venezuelan Government is Tarek El Aissami, appointed by President Hugo Chávez.
DISIP officers dress either in black uniforms or plain clothes and drive yellow and black cars.
DISIP has an extensive record of human rights violations, from its foundation as hard-line dictator's Pérez Jiménez's secret police, who were in charge of torturing so-called "enemies of State", to recent allegations of torture and murder of political opponents.[1][2][3] In their 1997 and 1998 reports, Amnesty International details human rights violations by DISIP, including unlawful detention of Venezuelan human rights activists.[4][5]
A murderous rampage against suspected looters in the state of Vargas following the 1999 mudslides became, according to Human Rights Watch, "the first major human rights test of the Chávez government. At first, Chávez dismissed the reports as 'suspicious' and 'superficial,' but the evidence soon obliged the president and other top government officials to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation."[1][6] Human Rights Watch expressed their deep concern over DISIP (and National Guard) abuse in Venezuela in a 2004 personal letter to President Hugo Chávez.[7] Amnesty International has also expressed concern over excessive use of force by the DISIP, and the increasing polarization and political violence in Venezuela since Chávez was elected in December 1998.[8]
On December 4th, 2009, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, during a swearing-in ceremony for the high command of the recently created Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana), announced that Disip will change its name, with immediate effect, to Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia, or Sebin).[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b Human Rights Watch World Report 2001: Venezuela: Human Rights Developments
- ^ HRW World Report 1999: Venezuela: Human Rights Developments
- ^ Letter to President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (Human Rights Watch, 12-4-2004)
- ^ 1997 AI Report
- ^ 1998 AI Report
- ^ Human Rights Watch World Report 2002: Americas: Venezuela
- ^ Letter to President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (Human Rights Watch, April 12, 2004)
- ^ Venezuela: Fear for safety/use of excessive force | Amnesty International
- ^ Venezuelan Disip to be now designated as Bolivarian Intelligence Service. ABN Accessed on December 4th, 2009
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