The lawyer and close collaborator of Chavismo Larry Devoe was elected this Thursday by the National Assembly, dominated by pro-government deputies, as the new attorney general in the midst of the process of the Amnesty Law enacted last February.
Considered a skillful “political operator” by analysts consulted by EFE, Devoe has maintained a lower profile than his predecessor, Tarek William Saab, despite holding multiple positions during the Government of Nicolás Maduro, captured on January 3 during the US military attack in Caracas.
Devoe, questioned for his role in international hearings where human rights violations have been reported in Venezuela, had already headed the Prosecutor’s Office since the end of February, when the AN temporarily appointed him to assume the position during the parliamentary process of receiving applications and candidates for selection.
«Multicharges»
Regarding the new prosecutor, the general coordinator of Provea, Oscar Murillo, told EFE that Devoe is an “absolutely trusted official” of the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, which, in his opinion, calls into question the necessary independence of an institution like the Public Ministry.
Devoe has held various positions, including the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Council and the representation of the Venezuelan State before the Inter-American Human Rights System. Currently, it is part of the Coexistence and Peace Program, created in January by the president in charge.
He has also been part of the Ombudsman’s Office, the National Telecommunications Commission, the restructuring board of the National Superintendency of Crypto Assets, as well as legal advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other positions.
In this sense, Murillo describes him as a “multi-position official”, especially related to the president in charge, and warns that he shows “disparaging attitudes” towards NGOs that, like Provea, denounce State abuses.
Independence
After Devoe’s appointment as temporary prosecutor, political scientist and university professor Guillermo Tell Aveledo told EFE that it seemed to be “a commitment to technical specialization” in the midst of the political process that Venezuela is going through.
“Devoe is a practical legal operator who deeply understands the language of compliance with international organizations,” he added.
During his presentation as the prosecutor in charge, the president of Parliament, the Chavista Jorge Rodríguez, indicated that Devoe is a lawyer who graduated from the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), with a master’s degree in constitutional law and democracy, human rights and the rule of law; He is also a specialist in criminal and criminal sciences, with two diplomas in human rights.
However, its role in this area has been questioned by various NGOs.
“His approach to the world of human rights has been from the arrogant position of someone in power,” said Murillo.
new moment
The head of the Public Ministry must lead this institution in the midst of the amnesty process and the “new political moment”, declared by the president in charge, whose Government agreed last March to fully reestablish the relationship with the United States under the Administration of Donald Trump, who ordered the military attack on Venezuela.
Aveledo considers that Devoe, despite being sanctioned by Canada, has the “ideal profile” in terms of political interest.
“In the framework of a ‘quasi-protectorate’ that seeks external legitimacy to stabilize itself, its profile is ideal for moving from the phase of criminal resistance to a phase of supervised arbitration,” he explained.
Murillo, for his part, points out that the closeness and trust of the president in charge is a bad omen for her management, and considers, therefore, that from a human rights perspective “she does not represent the profile” that Venezuela needs.
“The Constitution makes it very clear that the Attorney General of the Republic cannot have any type of militancy or political partiality, and here we are talking about a long-standing Government official, but also one of absolute trust today,” said Murillo, who added that “a prosecutor who speaks to the country” and who “generates trust” is needed.
EFE
