Michelle Bachelet speaks at the UN on complaints of human rights violations in Formosa

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle bachelet, spoke in this organization of “Critical human rights concerns in the northeastern province of Formosa”, during the health crisis triggered by the coronavirus.

The former president of Chile on Monday referred to a UN report on restrictive policies pursued by the government of Gildo Insfran in this Argentine province, “when the pandemic took hold”.

“In Argentina, the UN team in the country quickly mobilized to address critical human rights concerns in the northeastern province of Formosa when the pandemic hit it. The United Nations Resident Coordinator led a virtual assessment mission with the participation of UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO / PAHO and OHCHR. He then began consultations with authorities on a possible joint United Nations strategic program to respond to the health emergency in the province in accordance with international human rights standards, which includes addressing a range of structural issues. , with particular attention to indigenous peoples and vulnerable populations. “Bachelet said in an official document, as part of the organization’s Human Rights Council.

“The call to action helped unlock important changes. This will be essential help as we work to realize the ambition of the new generation of common country analyzes and cooperation frameworks for sustainable development. We need to make sure that all UN actors understand who is most marginalized and why and that we jointly identify human rights setbacks, as well as that we act together when the collective support of the UN to help states address key human rights challenges, including structural inequalities, ”added.

There is no record in recent years of any mention of this style in an oral update by the High Commissioner.. In fact, Argentina thus went from the vice-presidency of the Human Rights Council to being summoned for the compromised situation in this case, in this case in the province of Formosa.

In early February this year, the opposition, led by the PRO, sent a report to Bachelet to denounce the alleged human rights violations in the province of Formosa, due to the compulsory isolation and distancing regimes imposed due to COVID-19.

The president of the PRO and former Minister of Security during the government of Mauricio Macri, Patricia Bullrich, as well as seven other referents of the party, presented in this document specific cases, with name and first name, “People who have been the victims of unjustifiable government decisions.

The signatories of the report sent to Bachelet at the time expressed “their concern” and made themselves available to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “pending the launch of early warnings on the situation. critic in the province of Formosa. “.

The 25-page report concluded that the ban regime established by the national government, its implementation and monitoring, was functioning as a conducive and adequate regime for the violation of the human rights of the people of the country. He added that the national government, and in particular the provincial government of Formosa, has developed a policy that has favored and encouraged arbitrary government actions to the detriment of the life, health, integrity and dignity of people. . Likewise, the text affirmed that national government agencies did not exercise the control necessary to prevent these rights violations and had not taken sufficient action to guarantee respect for these fundamental rights.

A few days before this presentation of the opposition, the nation’s human rights secretary, Horacio Pietragalla, had visited Formosa. Despite the multiple complaints, he assured that there were no crimes against humanity in Formosa. “(The centers) are air-conditioned places, no one has complained about the food, no one has complained about the treatment of the people who take care of the place … There have been complaints about some problems specific, where they have not been explained as well as the details of the swab and vaccination processes. We pass this on and the idea is that there is more dialogue ”, explained Pietragalla, ignoring all the accusations of the referents of the opposition of this province.

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