Definitive Report - Report No 103, 1968

Case No 535 (Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)) - Complaint date: 13-SEP-67 - Closed

1. 72. The complaint of the Central Federation of Chilean Workers is contained in a telegram dated 13 September 1967, which was sent directly to the I.L.O. The text was communicated to the Government, which submitted its observations on the matter in a letter dated 6 December 1967.
2. 73. Venezuela has ratified neither the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), nor the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).

A. A. The complainants' allegations

1. 74. The complainants allege that Mr. Julio Campos, their representative at the Congress of the Central Federation of Venezuelan Workers, who had gone to Caracas at the invitation, of the workers of that country, was arrested on orders from the Government of Venezuela.
2. 75. In its observations the Government states that on 12 September 1967 (the day before the complainants' telegram was sent to the I.L.O.), several Caracas newspapers published articles according to which a Juan Campos, a Chilean trade unionist who had been invited to a meeting of the Central Federation of Venezuelan Workers, had been arrested. At this news, and as none of the national security services was aware of the alleged arrest, an administrative inquiry was made among the immigration services. The inquiry revealed that no one by the name of Juan Campos had entered the country but that two persons called Julio Campos, one a Colombian, the other a Chilean, had entered Venezuela, the second of these persons having stated that he was going to stay at the Caroni Hotel. When the police subsequently discovered that the person in question was not in fact staying at the Caroni Hotel, he was ordered to present himself for questioning, as is the normal practice with aliens in the country.
3. 76. When Mr. Julio Campos presented himself to the police, he was asked to state the purpose of his visit to Venezuela; Mr. Campos replied that he had come to Venezuela with the intention of visiting Caracas; when the police asked him why he had not attended the meetings of the Central Federation of Venezuelan Workers, he replied that he had come to Venezuela mainly as a tourist. The Government states that Mr. Campos did not come to Venezuela at the invitation of the Central Federation of Venezuelan Workers and had not attended the meetings of this organisation.
4. 77. After the above-mentioned check, the Government states that Mr. Campos was allowed to go free and that he left the country at a later date.

B. B. The Committee's conclusions

1. 78. From the information at the disposal of the Committee it would appear that the complaint of the Central Federation of Chilean Workers is based on erroneous information published in the Venezuelan press. From the detailed explanations furnished by the Government it is also clear that Mr. Campos was not detained and that he was able to leave the country freely.

The Committee's recommendations

1. 79. In these circumstances, considering that no useful purpose would be served in examining this matter further, the Committee recommends the Governing Body to decide that the case calls for no further examination on its part.