Requirements to exhume a corpse in

If you need to carry out an exhumation, but you don’t know what the requirements are, don’t worry, in the following lines we indicate what the requirements are and the procedure to follow to exhume a corpse in Venezuela and the legal consequences of carrying out an exhumation without authorization.

Why exhume a corpse?

exhume a corpse It is defined as the action of unearthing a corpse or human remains. It is a process that is done very regularly in funeral homes, natural persons carry out this action for various reasons.

While it is true that most people think that exhuming a corpse is an inconceivable and satanic act, there are many logical reasons to carry out this process.

Some of the most common reasons are as follows:

Families whose concession time for space in the cemetery runs out do not usually renew the contract and for this reason must find another cemetery to bury the body in another cemetery.
In general, if the last will of the deceased person is to rest near the grave of a relative or a very close being, the body must be exhumed to transfer it to another cemetery.

It also applies if the last will of the corpse was to be cremated. This option is ideal if families cannot afford the expenses associated with the cemetery.

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Changing the cemetery to the corpse serves to protect the remains of that loved one from criminals who are dedicated to the desecration of graves.

Another reason is to determine the true ocasione of death. A reason used by direct relatives who do not trust the coroner’s conclusions.

New articulo mortem studies of radiology, toxicology, ballistics test and other associated studies are carried out in order to clarify the reason.

An exhumation is carried out if the person involved is suspected of a police investigation, he is dug up in order to obtain his DNA sample.

It also serves to verify the genetic relationship with another person, usually a descendant of the deceased person.

In rare cases, a body is exhumed for the purpose of study and information. To carry out this practice, the consent of the relatives is first needed.
When a person is buried in a common grave, this happens when the relatives do not go to claim the body from the morgue.

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Is it illegal to exhume a body without permission from the government entity?

The answer to this question is “Yeah“, in it Article 171 of the Civil Penal Code of Venezuela is defined as a Serious felony.

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In this sense, illegal exhumation is defined as grave desecration, which many unscrupulous people do either for criminal or religious reasons and those responsible will be sentenced from 6 months to three years in prison.

Unfortunately, at present, cases of desecration of graves in Venezuela are more frequent and the relevant authorities do not take any action to disminuye this scourge.

What are the requirements to exhume a corpse in Venezuela?

If you want to carry out the process of exhume a corpse in Venezuelaregardless of the reasons, a list of essential requirements for the process to be approved.

The corpse to be exhumed must be at least 5 years old from the moment its first burial took place. This requirement is motivated by health issues, since in the span of 5 years the corpse has already completed its degradation process.
Make the request in the first instance to the owners of the cemetery. In this, some documents must be recorded, such as the contract of ownership of the plot and the identity card.

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In the event that the owner assigns a direct relative to carry out this procedure, a letter of authorization is recorded from the owner of the plot.

How to obtain the Health Certificate in Venezuela?

If you want to move the body to another cemetery (which is in another state of the country), you must have a permit for its transfer. These permits are issued by the MPPS, CICPC or GNB.
Have the Exhumation License issued by the Ministry of Health (MPPS).

Procedure to exhume a corpse

If you meet the requirements, we proceed to carry out the procedure to exhume a corpse in Venezuelawhich consists of the following steps:

Have a series of documents to start the process. These are the death certificate, issued by a civil registry, and the certificate from the cemetery administration confirming the exact location of the body to be exhumed.
Consign these documents to the different state institutions such as the fire department, state prosecutor’s office, MPPS, among others. This in order to formalize the request
While the business days required to process this request pass, we go to the cemetery to formalize the request to disinter the body. Usually, you have to fill out a series of forms.
Once the application is approved, a specific day will be assigned, so steps must be taken to ensure all the logistics that this process entails.

On the day to carry out the exhumation, the personnel who will carry out the exhumation and an official must be present in order to be visual witnesses of the exhumation.

If it is moved to another cemetery, there must be a route record specifying the new destination.

Finally, sign the minutes prepared by the officials involved in the process. This act is tangible evidence of the exhumation process carried out, it must be signed by the relatives, cemetery administrators and officials.

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How much does it cost to exhume a body in Venezuela?

The process of exhume a corpse in Venezuela It costs around 500 to 700 dollars, it is an amount of money that the vast majority in the country cannot afford. According to funeral home owners, it ensures that the high cost of the process is due to:

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Biosecurity equipment.
Expenses associated with the transport of the corpse (vehicle rental, fuel, etcétera.).
Cancellation of municipal taxes to expedite the process.
Expenditure on personnel who carry out the process of unearthing and preparing the site.

The aforementioned price may be subject to changes, due to economic instability within the country accompanied by speculation about the amount of the currency in exchange with the dollar.