Published at: 25/09/2024 10:00 PM

(Popular Tribune, September 1960)

• On September 18, 1960, as soon as the government of Rómulo Betancourt (1959-1964) began, Ricardo Navarro, an oil union leader, was assassinated by members of the Democratic Action party.
• The factional adecos stormed the headquarters of the Lagunillas Syndicate, where they murdered Navarro. There were also about 20 gunshot wounds, including Luis Pinto, the Union's Claims Secretary.
• Days before, that assault was alerted by the Popular Tribuna media outlet, when they pointed out the existence of a circular letter from the General Secretariat of AD in Lagunillas, edo. Zulia, calling on all its members to “prepare for the definitive coup against the union”.
• The material perpetrators of the crime then went personally to the seat of the court in the case, guarded by Digepol agents, where they coerced the substantiating judge, Luis Montiel, to allow them to see the file, in open violation of summary secrecy. The real intention was to remove him from that headquarters.
• Faced with the pressure exerted by the murderers and digeps, the judge asked the Municipal Police and the PTJ to help them arrest the factionists, who were subject to an arrest warrant.
• Both police forces, as auxiliary organs of the court, refused to lend their diligent support to arrest the murderers of Ricardo Navarro, jeopardizing the physical integrity of the magistrate and hindering the administration of justice.
• The non-arrest of the defendants as material perpetrators of the crime, and the presence of Digepoles guarding them at the seat of the court, constituted a clear maneuver by the police authorities and the AD party, to intimidate Judge Luis Montiel, and steal the file.
• According to statements made by the president of the Federation of University Centers, Américo Martín, the Betancourt government had claimed the lives of 96 people, 970 injured and 1,630 political prisoners.

Mazo News Team