Venezuelan Supreme Court Judge Impeached for Corruption

Caracas, Venezuela, June 9, 2006—After Supreme Court Judge Luis Velásquez Alvaray refused to present himself before the National Assembly to defend himself from corruption charges, the legislative body permanently removed him from his post.

Instead of appearing before the Assembly, Velásquez sent a five page letter to the legislative body reportedly explaining his refusal to answer to it. “I will not present myself to give a show in which you want to display my head on a plate like an electoral trophy. I am not available to legitimize with my presence a new collective lie,” said the letter, according to El Universal.

Velasquez also said he knew of the existence of an arrest order out against him.

In March, Interior and Justice Minister Jesse Chacón accused Velásquez of mismanaging money of the Executive Directorate of the Judicial System (DEM) used to start up a judicial complex. Among other allegations, Velásquez stands accused of failing to allow for a bidding process, and instead, illegally giving a no bid contract to a private company.

Last month, Velásquez was temporarily suspended when the attorney general, public defender, and comptroller general announced that there were enough elements of evidence to declare that Velásquez had seriously mismanaged the money. 

The former magistrate has repeatedly denied the charges, saying that Chacón, Vice President José Vicente Rangel, and President of the National Assembly Nicolás Maduro, have instigated the proceedings because he would not let them control him in the Supreme Court.

Velásquez was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004, when the court was expanded from 20 to 32 magistrates. The expansion was seen by government supporters as a move to counter the influence of pro-coup judges and by government detractors as an executive branch attempt to gain control over the judicial system. Previously Velásquez had been a deputy for the governing coalition and fervently pro-Chávez, in one instance getting rebuked by Chávez for suggesting an end to presidential term limits.