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José Miguel Vivanco:
We thank the High Commissioner for Human Rights for her reporting on Venezuela, which details serious abuses.
The policies and practices by Venezuelan authorities under Nicolás Maduro have long endangered the lives of thousands of Venezuelans.
Now that the pandemic has exacerbated the pre-existing humanitarian crisis, it is essential that sufficient apolitical humanitarian assistance reaches the country.
The brutal repression continues brutal repression continues with impunity, with security forces and [armed pro-government] groups continuing to carry out extrajudicial killings, short term enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and torture.
Recently, the Supreme Court of Justice orchestrated the takeover of three opposition parties and appointed government supporters [to leadership positions], violating the right to free and fair elections and freedom of association.
More than five million Venezuelans fled the crisis at home.
Tens of thousands returned and are being harassed by the authorities. Many are forced to remain in overcrowded quarantine centers without access to water.
Justice is indispensable for the country, but is impossible in a country without judicial independence, as the High Commissioner has just reported.
The creation, by this Council, of a Fact-Finding Mission to investigate abuses in Venezuela was extremely important.
Since the government refuses to cooperate with these independent experts, we ask the High Commissioner to please indicate how she intends to share information on abuses with this mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
We thank the High Commissioner for Human Rights for her reporting on Venezuela, which confirms that Venezuelan authorities are responsible for very serious human rights violations.
Venezuela’s humanitarian emergency predates the Covid-19 pandemic. Policies and practices by Venezuelan authorities under Nicolás Maduro have long endangered the lives and health of Venezuelans. The pandemic has now exacerbated this crisis, making sufficient and apolitical humanitarian aid more crucial than ever to save lives.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 has become a convenient excuse for Maduro’s government to crack down on critics. The brutal repression continues, with security forces and armed pro-government groups committing egregious abuses including extrajudicial killings, short term enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and torture. All of this, with impunity. Recently, the Supreme Court orchestrated the takeover of three opposition parties and the National Electoral Council by appointing government supporters to leadership positions, undermining Venezuelans’ rights to free and fair elections and freedom of association.
More than five million Venezuelans fled the crisis at home. Many are struggling to survive in informal economies hit hard by the pandemic. Tens of thousands have returned to Venezuela only to face harassment by authorities. Many have been forced into unsanitary and overcrowded quarantine centers where the most basic preventive measures, such as hand-washing and social distancing, are impossible.
Accountability is essential to curb abuses, and that is not possible in a country without judicial independence, as described in the high commissioner’s recent report. The creation by this Council of a Fact-Finding Mission in September 2019 to investigate egregious abuses in Venezuela was a key, welcome development. High Commissioner, given Venezuela’s refusal to cooperate with the mechanism, what are your office’s plans to share information on grave abuses you have documented with the independent experts from the Fact-Finding Mission?
