Memories of the Fourth: The Death Wells in Zulia

Published at: 04/11/2026 10:26 PM

Human rights violations were one of the main characteristics of the Fourth Republic, the State's order was to shoot first and then ask anyone who thought differently and more if they dared to contradict the Government.

One of the examples of this is the Death Wells scandal, which occurred in the state of Zulia and marked a milestone in the reporting of police abuses during the Fourth Republic.

The beginning was triggered by the disappearance of a 15-year-old teenager, Rafael Antonio “El Macho” González, whose search by his family uncovered a network of hidden crimes.

As part of this search, mass graves and wells with human remains were discovered in rural areas of Zulia, mainly in the municipality of La Cañada de Urdaneta. Those responsible? It was demonstrated that members of State security forces (such as the defunct Judicial Technical Police, PTJ) operated “death squads” that carried out illegal arrests, torture and extrajudicial executions against civilians, then throwing the bodies into these wells.

Mazo News Team