No justice for Yaelvis Santoyo

WHATEVER hope of justice there once was for Yaelvis Santoyo, the one-year-old Venezuelan who died after a sea incident involving the Coast Guard over two years ago, has all but evaporated.

On April 26, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds disclosed in Parliament the police had long “concluded” their investigation and a file was sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on October 20, 2023.

That was a year, eight months and 15 days from the date of the original incident. Why so long?

In that time, no authority besides one directly involved reported to the country any definitive findings.

To date, the approach remains one of erring on the side of official silence.

Asked by the MP who queried this issue in Parliament, Rodney Charles, whether the police report will be made public, Mr Hinds made no commitment, saying, “The police, having completed their investigation, moved the file seamlessly to the office of the DPP.”

But whatever the DPP does – and he could well update the public soon – it will be largely moot.

Whether the file is returned to the police for further investigation or the case is dropped, we will continue to have no answers.

If the matter crystallises into charges, that would all but guarantee the facts will remain locked away behind legal constraints for years.

An official inquest could be an appropriate undertaking, particularly to give the family of this child closure. Pending such proceedings, all will remain none the wiser.

From the onset, this case demanded answers.

It was a harrowing death that raised serious questions about operational standards, training, and accountability within the Coast Guard – matters that have implications not only for how officers interact with people, whether locals or foreigners, but also with fellow officers.

The incident was also the subject of international outcry. UN agencies expressed disquiet. Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, whose undemocratic regime this country has consistently tried to woo for energy riches, called for “an exhaustive investigation to clarify the facts.” His then main opponent, Juan Guaidó, said, “We ask for justice.”

The instinct of the Prime Minister, not long after word of the incident broke, was to speak quickly with Venezuelan officials to express condolences.

Years later, authorities have not been able to speak to facts.

Ostensibly deferring to prosecutors, they have effectively passed the buck and kicked the can down the road. If proceedings are to occur, they will take years, if at all. There are reports that key witnesses are already gone; nobody can say much about the officers involved.

This case was an accountability test. Two years having passed, it seems clear we have already failed it, and, worse, failed it on the international stage.