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On Monday 15 January 2018, Venezuelan security forces raided a house on the outskirts of El Junquito, 20 kilometers west of Caracas. The target of what came to be known as ‘Operation Gideon’ was Óscar Pérez, the leader of a small rebel group acting against the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
Nine people were killed, including Pérez and six other members of his group. All but one were found to have injuries consistent with being shot in the head. Two members of the Venezuelan armed forces were also killed.
In order to understand the events that took place that day, Forensic Architecture (FA) and Bellingcat analysed material recorded by citizens, security forces, and by Pérez himself, as well as official statements, and leaked audio of police communications.
Every piece of evidence has been placed in an interactive, navigable 3D model of the area, for the benefit of journalists and researchers who are interested in further exploring the case.
The killing raises concerns about whether the actions taken by the security forces were legal and proportional. The Venezuelan security forces mobilised large numbers of personnel and multiple agencies in order to carry out the raid, using military hardware, which led to a chaotic operation with various forces accidentally targeting one another.
It became known after the attack that Heiker Vasquez, one of the security personnel killed in the operation, was also a prominent leader of the ‘colectivo’ Tres Raices — one of many pro-government paramilitary groups that have arisen in Venezuela over the last few years. This raises questions regarding whether such paramilitary groups were also involved in the operation with the knowledge and approval of the security forces.
We believe that Óscar Pérez and his group were killed between 11:15am and 12:00pm, but more material is required, particularly videos recorded between those times, to investigate this case fully.