User:YoyeVenezuela/Héctor Hernández Da Costa

Héctor Armando Hernández Da Costa (Valencia, Venezuela); October 13, 1966) is a Venezuelan military graduate of the Military Academy of the Bolivarian National Guard (formerly EFOFAC)  . Since August 13, 2018, he has been detained at the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM)  based in Boleíta, Caracas, for political reasons. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) announced in 2020 the measure of immediate release for the cessation of his detention, because it is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Biography
Hernández Da Costa is the eldest son of Carmen Socorro Da Costa and Héctor Armando Hernández. At the age of 16 he created a minor baseball group to train children and young people who wish to represent the state of Carabobo at a national level.

Career
In 1985 he began his studies at EFOFAC. He graduated in 1989 with the first place in the order of merit and with summa cum laude mention. He also completed the Postgraduate Specialization in Criminalistics at the Instituto Universitario Policía Científica (1994-1995), where he stood out as an honor student and received the summa cum laude mention. Between 1996-1997 he completed the Postgraduate Specialization in Public Security Management at the Escuela Superior de la Guardia Nacional Bolivariana.

Héctor Hernández Da Costa served as Venezuela's liaison officer to the Federal Criminal Investigation Office of Germany in the area of drugs and organized crime. He participated in the Advanced Course in Criminology and Judicial Police at the Institute of Criminalistics of the Federal Criminal Investigation Office of Germany or also known as Bundeskriminalamt(January-June, 2000), where he was also an outstanding officer and obtained the Excellence Mention. Between 2004-2005 he attended the Command and Staff Course with international participation at the Higher Command Academy of the German Armed Forces (Clausewitz Kaserne) in Hamburg, Germany. During his stay in Germany he obtained the C1 level of German and acquired the knowledge of the technical language applied to his career at the Bundesspracheamt.

Arrest
On the night of August 13, 2018, around 40 officers of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and other people from a special actions unit of the Policía Nacional Bolivariana(PNB) arrived at the home of Hernández Da Costa, located in Chacao, Caracas, taking over the entire building and the street with men with faces covered with balaclavas and with long weapons. They arrived at the apartment, violently demanding that Hernández accompany them as a detainee and without complying with the legal requirements for such purpose. The arrest was recorded live by his daughter through her social networks. There was no arrest warrant against him, nor had he been caught committing any crime in flagrante delicto.

On August 18, 2018, Hernández Da Costa was shown an arrest warrant dated August 17, 2018 and was read the rights of the accused. That is to say, from August 13 until August 18 he was kidnapped and disappeared at the order of the DGCIM. He is considered a military political prisoner of Venezuela by the government of Nicolás Maduro. Being a military man, Da Costa is being tried in a civilian court. He has also been denied the pre-trial of merit (antejuicio de mérito) due to his high military investiture. During the presentation hearing in the Terrorism Court, false evidence was imputed to him. Hernandez Da Costa made a statement before the judge to deny any accusation or accusation against him.

In 2020, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) issued a measure of immediate release in his favor. The measure reported his detention as Category I and Category III arbitrary detention. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued precautionary protection measures in his favor.

Life
Héctor Hernández Da Costa is married to Lilina Barboza and they have two children, Simón and Loredana.

Links

 * Sitio web oficial.
 * Detención, YouTube