The National Organization for the Rescue and Maritime Safety of Aquatic Spaces (ONSA) established a position on the case of the Venezuelan boy who died of a gunshot wound by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard. The minor’s mother was also injured in the incident.
In a statement the ONSA classified as disproportionate the actions carried out by the warship “TTS Scarborough” of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard once morest a Venezuelan civilian ship that entered its territorial waters.
He denied that the event left a deceased, the one-year-old child Yaelvis Santoyo, and an injured person, Darielvis Sarabia, the child’s mother.
The NGO condemned the action and expressed its condolences to the relatives. Likewise, he exalted the importance that the Venezuelan authorities exercise all the mechanisms to investigate the case and activate the corresponding responsibilities.
He explained that in the case there was an “excessive use of force” by the coastal authorities of Trinidad and Tobago.
“The coast guard ship is, within the framework of the Law of the Sea and International Law, a warship. She has the symbols of that State, she is armed, she has jurisdictional functions for the exercise of sovereignty. There is precedent in international law regarding the responsibilities that may arise in these cases, innocently, as a consequence of the excessive use of force. There has to be proportionality”, detailed Francisco Villarroel Rodríguez, Legal Consultant of the organization and specialist in Maritime and International Law at a press conference.
systematized action
He also stressed that this is not an isolated case but an action that becomes recurring.
«What the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago says, it has no basis in international law. It is irresponsible, because there are already decisions even from the International Court of Justice on the excessive use of force, which is evident in this case. It was a peñero that, even in the report they made, they do not indicate that they had weapons, they had no way of defending themselves once morest that aggression, nor how to escape, because their maneuvering and propulsion capacity were very limited compared to the other boat. This has an international responsibility that, if it is not now, it will be later », he stated.
In addition, he emphasized that it is the responsibility of the Venezuelan State to demand that an investigation be opened and responsibilities be determined.
“That they pay for the damage they have caused, which, although it is not a consolation for the relatives, does represent a precedent to prevent these actions from being repeated,” said ONSA.
