Luis Enrique Ramos Suárez

These words were the support I needed to tell you this story; I want you to take them and use them in difficult times, just as I did.

Luis Enrique Ramos Suárez was a man full of life and enthusiasm. At 28 years old, he loved organizing sporting events in the community. He was the captain of the Colinas basketball team. I remember him as an excellent father, brother, and son, always surrounded by great friends and with many dreams ahead—dreams that were left unfulfilled.

Smile… 

Because I have learned that by smiling, it is possible to regain strength and overcome obstacles. Smiling leads you to master fears and overcome moments you thought you couldn’t surpass. Smiling gives you the strength to fight injustices, abuses, or even acts of cowardice like the murder of my brother.

On January 23, 2019, after my brother attended a major protest, a voice note began circulating on WhatsApp involving him in alleged conspiracies against the Nicolás Maduro regime and the Mayor’s office of the Torres Municipality.

A single voice note was enough for the Maduro regime to leave my family in mourning and two children without a father.

It was about 2:00 in the afternoon that day. We were carrying water from other places, as the supply is quite limited. We were preparing lunch as a family; my brother was looking in the mirror, getting ready to go out. I remember that was the last time I saw him smile.

At that moment, the FAES murderers entered our home. Led by members of the communal council and local councilors, they had arrived in trucks from the Carora Mayor’s office along with a group of colectivos (paramilitary groups). There were approximately fifty (50) funcionarios who entered our home with long and short weapons. We had never experienced a situation like this before, nor would we ever want to live through it again.

When they entered, they began insulting us, they beat us, and they violated our rights—including those of the children and elderly people who were there. They pointed guns at the children’s heads, they hit the women, and they broke my father’s nose—a 62-year-old man—with a blow while they insulted him.

While we tried to explain that we had done nothing wrong, the funcionarios told us they were only there to follow orders. They had my brother kneeling and handcuffed while they beat me severely on the head. They separated us and forced us all into the last room of the house, while my brother was kept in the living room; there, they robbed us, beat us, and threatened to burn us alive.

At that moment, one of the killers changed the order and said they were going to detain us all. They took us out of the room one by one while my brother was kept in the living room with a bag over his head.

Be brave…

My brother, even in that situation, bravely told us that everything was going to be fine. Despite having a bag over his head, he told us not to be afraid; he begged the funcionarios to leave us alone: if they already had him, they should let us go. We didn’t want to leave, but they took us by force and abandoned us by a ravine near the sector.

We didn’t know what would happen to Luis. As they were taking us out, we noticed that the entire sector had been taken over by the FAES criminals: they were there with the sole mission of murdering an innocent man. Upon removing us from the house, these killers staged a simulated confrontation to justify Luis Enrique’s murder; we heard gunshots and their own shouting.

We heard about Luis after he was transferred to the community health center with two gunshot wounds to the chest; from there, they took him directly to the city morgue, where the killers got out and began pointing their weapons at everyone. They didn’t want anyone to go near the body.

They handed over our brother to us completely naked, beaten, and with two gunshots to the chest. We all cried, and we cried a lot, but we stood up to seek justice. Through the report we filed, many people found the strength to denounce the murders committed by these criminals, as our family was not the only one going through this situation.

We have publicly expressed our pain in the face of clear human rights violations in Venezuela. Our complaint rests in the Prosecutor’s Office, in a file where we demand justice for Luis Enrique.

Amen…

Our work is not yet over; there is a long road ahead that requires great strength to continue—strength I draw from the love for my brother, who at all times told us “I love you” through smiles and tears.

He gave us his love until the very end: to his wife and children, to his nephews, and to our parents. “I love you” was always more than just words; it was his life motto. Anyone who knew him knew the great heart he had.

In my brother’s name, I tell you that love is necessary to illuminate the truth. Because, as the Scriptures say: “The truth shall set us free.” In mind, action, and word, let us be free; let us demand justice and find the whole truth. The world must know what happened; it must know that we are facing a murderous regime that violates human rights.

These crimes cannot go unpunished. For the love of Venezuela, for my brother, and for all Venezuelans, we demand justice so we can smile and embrace each other once again.