According to attorney Jorge Guzman, who filed the appeal before the Criminal Chamber of the National Assembly (parliament), the ombudsman committed serious omissions in the accomplishment of the constitutional and legal duties inherent to his position.

In this regard, the attorney demanded Leblanc’s dismissal for repeatedly failing to meet his duties to the detriment of the general public, and particularly social sectors that, in the legitimate exercise of their constitutional right to protest, have been subjected to serious human rights violations by law enforcement.

Guzman specified that the repression against the people include persecution, arbitrary detentions, disproportionate use of force, the use of firearms against civilians, torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, injuries, and murders.

As a result of these actions, at least two deaths have been reported, including a 28-month-old baby, as well as dozens of others injured, tortured, and locked, without access to legal defense and subjected to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, according to the case file presented.

The lawyer specified that despite the seriousness of the events, Leblanc failed to act in a timely and effective manner in the exercise of his constitutional and legal functions.

His actions were limited to issuing ambiguous statements that, far from defending the rights of the affected population, contributed to stigmatizing the protest and minimizing the repression, he noted.

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