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Bolivarian Intelligence Service

Coordinates:10°29′43″N66°52′57″W/ 10.4954°N 66.8826°W/10.4954; -66.8826
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Bolivarian National Intelligence Service
Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional
SEBIN
Seal of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service
Flag of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service
Intelligence agencyoverview
FormedJune 2, 2010;14 years ago(2010-06-02)
PrecedingIntelligence agency
HeadquartersPlaza Venezuela,Caracas,Venezuela[1]
EmployeesClassified
Annual budget$169 million (2013)[2]
Intelligence agencyexecutives
Parent departmentVice President of Venezuela

TheBolivarian National Intelligence Service(Spanish:Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional,SEBIN) is the premierintelligence agencyinVenezuela.SEBIN is an internal security force subordinate to theVice President of Venezuelasince 2012 and is dependent on Vice PresidentDelcy Rodríguez.[3]SEBIN has been described as thepolitical policeforce of theBolivariangovernment.[4][5][6]

History[edit]

The Venezuelan intelligence agency has an extensive record ofhuman rightsviolations,[7]including recent allegations of torture and murder of political opponents.[8][9][10]

Predecessors[edit]

See also:Dirección General de PolicíaandNational Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services

The predecessor of SEBIN was established in March 1969 with the name of DISIP,Dirección Nacional de los Servicios de Inteligencia y Prevención( "National Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services" ), by then-presidentRafael Caldera,replacing theDirección General de Policía(DIGEPOL).

Human Rights Watchwrote in 1993 that DISIP was involved in targeting political dissenters within Venezuela and was involved in abusive tactics.[11]In their 1997 and 1998 reports,Amnesty Internationalalso detailed human rights violations by DISIP, including unlawful detention of Venezuelan human rights activists.[12][13]

Bolivarian Revolution[edit]

El Helicoide,the first headquarters of SEBIN

In 1999, President Hugo Chávez began the restructuring of DISIP, with commanders and analysts being selected for their political attributes and rumors of somearmed civilian groupsgaining credentials from such actions.[14]A retired SEBIN commissioner explained that there began to be "biased and incomplete reports, tailored to the new ears, that began to proliferate and ultimately affects the ability of the institution to process information and know what happens".[14]On December 4, 2009, President Chávez, during a swearing-in ceremony for the high command of the recently created Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana), announced the change of name of DISIP, with immediate effect, to Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia, or SEBIN).[citation needed]

The restructuring of SEBIN was completed in 2013 with one of its goals to guarantee the "continuity and consolidation of theBolivarian Revolutionin power ".[14][15]In the beginning of the2014 Venezuelan protests,SEBIN agents opened fire on protesters which resulted in the deaths of two and the dismissal of Brigadier General Manuel Gregorio Bernal Martinez days later.[15]

Under the Nicolás Maduro presidency, a building that was originally intended to be a subway station and offices inPlaza Venezuelawas converted into the headquarters for SEBIN.[15][16]

Domestic actions[edit]

Media[edit]

SEBIN had raided facilities of reporters and human rights defenders several times.[17]It was also stated that SEBIN occasionally intimidated reporters by following them inunmarked vehicleswhere SEBIN personnel would "watch their homes and offices, the public places like bakeries and restaurants, and would send them text messages to their cell phones".[17]

Following theNarcosobrinos incidentwhich saw President Maduro's nephews arrested in the United States for drug trafficking,Associated PressreporterHannah Dreier,who had been awarded for her reporting on Venezuela,[18]was detained by SEBIN agents inSabaneta, Barinas.SEBIN agents threatened her during an interrogation, saying they would behead her likeISILdid toJames Foleyand said that they would let her go for a kiss. Finally, agents said that they wanted to coerce the United States to exchange Maduro's nephews for Dreier, accusing her of being a spy and sabotaging the Venezuelan economy.[19]

Public surveillance[edit]

A communication from General Director ofCONATEL,William Castillo Bolle, giving information on Venezuelan Twitter users toSEBINGeneral CommissionerGustavo González López

In anEl Nuevo Herald,former SEBIN officials and security experts state that the Venezuelan government has allegedly spent millions of dollars to spy on Venezuelans; using Italian and Russian technology to monitor emails, keywords and telephone conversations of its citizens; especially those who use the dominant, state-controlled telecommunications providerCANTV.Acquired information is used to create a "person of interest"for Venezuelan authorities, where only selected individuals could have been fully spied on and where a database had been created to monitor those who publicly disagreed with theBolivarian Revolution.[20]

In 2014, multiple Twitter users were arrested and faced prosecution due to the tweets they made.[21]Alfredo Romero,executive director of the Venezuelan Penal Forum (FPV), stated that the arrests of Twitter users in Venezuela was a measure to instill fear among those using social media that were critical against the government.[21]In October 2014, eight Venezuelans were arrested shortly after the death of PSUV officialRobert Serra.[22]Though the eight Venezuelans were arrested in October 2014, the Venezuelan government had been monitoring them since June 2014 according to leaked documents, with the state telecommunications agencyConatelprovidingIP addressesand other details to the Venezuelan intelligence agencySEBINin order to arrest Twitter users.[22]

Surveillance of Jewish community[edit]

In January 2013, 50 documents were leaked byAnalisis24showing that SEBIN had been collecting "private information on prominent Venezuelan Jews, local Jewish organizations and Israeli diplomats in Latin America". Some info that was gathered by SEBIN operations included office photos, home addresses, passport numbers and travel itineraries. The leaked documents were believed to be authentic according to multiple sources which included theAnti-Defamation League,that stated, "It is chilling to read reports that the SEBIN received instructions to carry out clandestine surveillance operations against members of the Jewish community".[23][24]

Protest suppression[edit]

2004 Venezuela recall protests[edit]

In March 2004,Amnesty Internationalstated in a report following2004 Venezuela recallprotests that SEBIN (then DISIP) "allegedly used excessive force to control the situation on a number of occasions".[25]

2014 Venezuelan protests[edit]

SEBIN agent at military ceremony in 2014.
Main article:2014 Venezuelan protests

Seven SEBIN members caused the first deaths of the2014 Venezuelan protestson 12 February 2014 after shooting at unarmed and fleeing protesters several times, in violation of protocol, which resulted in the deaths ofBassil Da Costaand Juan Montoya.[26][27]Days later, on February 17, armed SEBIN agents raided the headquarters ofPopular Willin Caracas and held individuals who were inside at gunpoint.[28]

Following human rights violations by SEBIN during the protests, U.S. PresidentBarack Obamaused powers granted from theVenezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014and ordered theUnited States Department of the Treasuryto freeze assets and property of the Director General of SEBIN, Gustavo Enrique González López and the former Director General, Manuel Gregorio Bernal Martínez.[29]

Torture[edit]

See also:Fernando Albán

Dubbed "La Tumba",or" The Tomb ", by Venezuelan officials, political prisoners are held five stories underground of the SEBIN headquarters in inhumane conditions at freezing temperatures and with no ventilation, sanitation, or daylight.[30][31][32]The cells are two by three meters that have a cement bed, security cameras and barred doors, with each cell aligned next to one another so there are no interactions between prisoners.[16]Such conditions have caused prisoners to become very ill though they are denied medical treatment.[32]Denounces of torture in "The Tomb", specificallywhite torture,are also common, with some prisoners attempting to commit suicide.[16][30][31]Such conditions are to force prisoners to plead guilty to crimes they are accused of.[16]

The torture of political prisoners has included the capture, mistreatment and in some cases killing of their pets.[33][34]

A SEBIN former official told theIndependent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuelathat its director,Carlos Calderón[es],was directly involved in torture within the agency during the protests. Among other ill-treatment, he placed plastic bags on protesters, or poured water on them, and beat them to extract information.[35]

International actions[edit]

United States[edit]

A SEBIN agent seen on a motorcycle in Caracas.

In 2012,Livia Acosta Nogueraand at least 10 other SEBIN agents that were allegedly operating under the guise of diplomatic missions left the United States following a controversy involving Acosta.[36]In aUnivisiondocumentary, while Acosta was a cultural attaché in Mexico, she allegedly met with Mexican students posing as hackers that were supposedly planning to launch cyberattacks on theWhite House,theFBI,The Pentagonand several nuclear plants.[37][38][39]After an FBI investigation and reactions from members of the United States congress, the United StatesDepartment of Statedeclared Acostapersona non grata.[37][38]

Despite the withdrawal of SEBIN agents, the government ofNicolás Maduroallegedly "maintains a network of spies in the United States, formed by supporters of the Bolivarian Revolution who are paid handsomely," according to former SEBIN officials.[36]The former officials also stated that the contributions of "spies" is maintained by members of the "Patriotas Cooperantes" and from open source contributions, such as from press reports or information posted on websites.[36]The Venezuelan government has used such tactics to reportedly observe government opposition organizations in the United States and has allegedly spied on United States government officials such as Cuban-American senator and representativeMarco Rubio(R-FL) andIleana Ros-Lehtinen(R-FL), respectively.[36][40]

On 15 February 2019, General Director Manuel Cristopher Figuera was sanctioned by the United States for suspected human rights violations and torture.[41]Following theVenezuelan uprising on 30 April 2019,the U.S. removed sanctions against Manuel Cristopher Figuera, who broke ranks with Maduro.[42]

Chile[edit]

On February 21, 2024, SEBIN allegedly kidnapped the Venezuelan dissident and former army member Ronald Ojeda from his apartment in Santiago de Chile. Ojeda had received political asylum in Chile in 2023.

Operations[edit]

One of two headquarters of SEBIN, whereLa Tumbais located, in Caracas.

SEBIN operates from two headquarters;El Helicoidethe original headquarters of the agency, and its second and more updated facility atPlaza Venezuela,whereLa Tumba(The Tomb) is located.

This federal entity could be considered the only security agency in Venezuela that never participates in any direct involvement with the general public. SEBIN doesn't patrol the public roads, arrest civilians, or do regular law enforcement work like police departments and doesn't participate in any police raids, joint task forces, or operations not related to the ministry of interior and justice. It is an agency that combines their counterparts of the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, and US Marshal core work, such as counterterrorism, intelligence, counterintelligence, government investigations, and background investigations and provides protection/escort for high-ranking government officials, among other federally mandated duties. Officers of this agency are rarely seen in public wearing their full black uniforms; they can be seen providing protection within a few federal buildings throughout the country.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Krygier, Rachelle; Partlow, Joshua (June 24, 2017)."In Venezuela, prisoners say abuse is so bad they are forced to eat pasta mixed with excrement".The Washington Post.RetrievedJune 26,2017.The headquarters of the Venezuelan intelligence service is a vast pyramid-shaped edifice known asthe Helicoide,a former shopping mall which now functions as an interrogation pen for political prisoners and protesters.
  2. ^"SERVICIO BOLIVARIANO DE INTELIGENCIA NACIONAL SEBIN - Memoria 2013"(PDF).Vicepresidencia de la República.2013.Retrieved11 August2018.
  3. ^"Con su nuevo cargo, Delcy Rodríguez será la responsable del Sebin".La Patilla](in European Spanish). 14 June 2018.Retrieved15 June2018.
  4. ^*"REPORT OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES AND THE PANEL OF INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS ON THE POSSIBLE COMMISSION OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN VENEZUELA"(PDF).Washington, D.C.:Organization of American States.May 2018.Retrieved11 August2018.The Bolivarian National Intelligence Service are the political police of theBolivarianGovernment.
  5. ^OAS (2009-08-01)."OAS - Organization of American States: Democracy for peace, security, and development".www.oas.org.Retrieved2019-07-27.
  6. ^"OAS says Venezuela is the region's top priority".www.aljazeera.com.Retrieved2019-07-27.
  7. ^"CIA declassified document 926816, October 13, 1976"(PDF).Retrieved11 July2017.
  8. ^"Human Rights Watch World Report 2001: Venezuela: Human Rights Developments".www.hrw.org.Retrieved11 July2017.
  9. ^"HRW World Report 1999: Venezuela: Human Rights Developments".www.hrw.org.Retrieved11 July2017.
  10. ^"Letter to President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (Human Rights Watch, 12-4-2004)".hrw.org.Archived fromthe originalon 2004-04-30.Retrieved11 July2017.
  11. ^"Human Rights in Venezuela"(PDF).Human Rights Watch.October 1993.
  12. ^1997 AI ReportArchivedJune 1, 2005, at theWayback Machine
  13. ^1998 AI ReportArchivedJune 1, 2005, at theWayback Machine
  14. ^abcZerpa, Fabiola (18 May 2014)."Abran la puerta, es el Sebin".El Nacional.Archived fromthe originalon 20 March 2016.Retrieved29 July2015.
  15. ^abc"Un calabozo macabro".Univision.2015.Retrieved28 July2015.
  16. ^abcdVinogradoff, Ludmila (10 February 2015).""La tumba", siete celdas de tortura en el corazón de Caracas ".ABC.Retrieved29 July2015.
  17. ^ab"Abogados denuncian que el Sebin realiza seguimientos para amedrentarlos".El Nacional.19 May 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2014.Retrieved20 May2014.
  18. ^"Associated Press announces 2017 staff awards".Associated Press.23 June 2017.Retrieved2 August2017.
  19. ^"Departing AP reporter looks back at Venezuela's slide".The Washington Post.2 August 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 2 August 2017.Retrieved2 August2017.
  20. ^"El Nuevo Herald: Gobierno gasta millones en espionaje electrónico de sus ciudadanos".La Patilla. 2 November 2014.Retrieved7 November2014.
  21. ^ab"Venezuela: ya son siete los tuiteros detenidos por" opiniones inadecuadas "".Infobae.1 November 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2015.Retrieved1 March2015.
  22. ^ab"Netizen Report: Leaked Documents Reveal Egregious Abuse of Power by Venezuela in Twitter Arrests".Global Voices Online.17 July 2015.Retrieved22 July2015.
  23. ^Filar, Ray (5 February 2013)."Venezuela 'spying' on Jewish community".The JC.Retrieved5 June2014.
  24. ^"Venezuela spying on its Jews, documents reveal".The Times of Israel. 31 January 2014.Retrieved5 June2014.
  25. ^"VENEZUELA Protestors in civil disturbances".Amnesty International.Archived fromthe originalon March 22, 2004.Retrieved15 December2014.
  26. ^Neuman, William (26 February 2014)."Venezuela Accuses Intelligence Officers of Murdering 2".The New York Times.Retrieved11 June2014.
  27. ^"Foreign journal provides identity of shooters".El Universal.19 February 2014.Retrieved21 February2014.
  28. ^Gupta, Girish (17 February 2014)."Venezuelan security forces raid major opposition base".USA Today.Retrieved18 February2014.
  29. ^Rhodan, Maya (9 March 2015)."White House Sanctions Seven Officials in Venezuela".Time.Retrieved9 March2015.
  30. ^ab"UNEARTHING THE TOMB: INSIDE VENEZUELA'S SECRET UNDERGROUND TORTURE CHAMBER".Fusion.2015. Archived fromthe originalon July 29, 2015.Retrieved29 July2015.
  31. ^ab"Political protesters are left to rot in Venezuela's secretive underground prison".News.com.au.25 July 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2015.Retrieved29 July2015.
  32. ^ab"Statement of Santiago A. Canton Executive Director, RFK Partners for Human Rights Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights"(PDF).United States Senate.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 29, 2015.Retrieved29 July2015.
  33. ^Marra, Yohana (1 February 2020)."Tortura a presos políticos incluye tratos crueles y encierro de sus mascotas".Crónica Uno(in Spanish).Retrieved2 February2020.
  34. ^"Thor, la mascota de un preso político que encerraron por 22 meses en el Sebin".Crónica Uno(in Spanish). 2020-08-20.Retrieved2021-12-29.
  35. ^Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (12 September 2022).Crímenes de lesa humanidad cometidos a través de los servicios de inteligencia del Estado: estructuras y personas involucradas en la implementación de un plan para reprimir la oposición al gobierno[Crimes against humanity committed through the State intelligence services: structures and individuals involved in the implementation of a plan to repress opposition to the government]. p. 103.
  36. ^abcdMaria Delgado, Antonio (16 November 2014)."El régimen de Maduro mantiene una red de espías en Estados Unidos".El Nuevo Herald.Retrieved22 November2014.
  37. ^ab"Expulsan a Cónsul de Venezuela en Miami mencionada en documental de Univision".Univision. 8 January 2012.Retrieved22 November2014.
  38. ^ab"US expels Venezuela's Miami consul Livia Acosta Noguera".BBC. 9 January 2012.Retrieved22 November2014.
  39. ^"U.S. expels Venezuelan diplomat in Miami".CNN. 9 January 2012.Retrieved22 November2014.
  40. ^Derby, Kevin (18 November 2014)."Nicolas Maduro's Regime Spies on Marco Rubio and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen".Sunshine State News. Archived fromthe originalon 4 February 2015.Retrieved26 November2014.
  41. ^"Manuel Quevedo entre los cinco funcionarios de Maduro sancionados por EEUU".La Patilla(in European Spanish). 2019-02-15.Retrieved2019-02-16.
  42. ^Ramptom, Roberta (7 May 2019)."U.S. lifts sanctions on Venezuelan general who broke with Maduro".Reuters.Retrieved7 May2019.

External links[edit]

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