The Governments of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia and Venezuela, members of the Lima Group, condemn the murder of Venezuelan Corvette Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo and express their condolences and solidarity with his family.
The Captain was seized by armed men on 21 June and brought before a judge seven days later, on 28 June, with visible traces of torture. Due to his serious health condition, the judge decided to send him to hospital, where he died on 29 June.
The Lima Group rejects the repeated arbitrary detentions and torture inflicted by the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro on those it regards as opponents, and urges the international community, especially the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to act promptly to restore the rights of the Venezuelan people and protect their integrity.