UN Receives New Complaints of Extrajudicial Killings, Calls for End to Persecution of NGOs in Venezuela

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle bachelet, delivered a speech on Thursday on the human rights situation in Venezuela. “We continue to receive complaints of extrajudicial killings in security operations»Denounced the former president of Chile.

“Early January, at least 14 people died during an operation in the Caracas district of La Vega. Remembering the police reform announcements, I ask for prompt and independent investigations to ensure accountability, prevent similar events and put an end to this practice, ”he continued.

Then he underlined that, “since September, access to basic services, such as medical assistance, water, gas, food and gasoline, already in short supply, was further limited by the effect of the pandemic. This generated social protests and worsened the humanitarian situation“.

Although she only had three minutes, as she herself said at the start of her speech, she also reviewed the state of the economy in the oil nation. “According to some organizations, the median salary would be less than $ 1 per month, while it is estimated that the price of the food basket has increased by 1800% over the past year. About a third of Venezuelans are believed to be food insecure“, He explained.

And he gave the example of those who had to leave the country and died: “The tragic death of at least 28 Venezuelan migrants in the Caribbean Sea in December 2020 was a reminder of the decisions some are forced to take., as well as their vulnerability to smuggling and smuggling networks. The Attorney General denounced the practices of bribery, corruption and intimidation of victims, ”he recalled.

He then praised “the ad hoc solutions adopted to reduce judicial delays and overcrowding in detention centers. A country is judged on how it treats its most vulnerable, including its detainees“. However, he stressed that he “reports of deaths in custody due to tuberculosis, malnutrition and other diseases of concern. Ensure adequate nutrition and health care is crucial to avoid more tragic deaths as the Salvador Franco. I reiterate my call for the unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained, and I welcome the new access of my office to police detention centers ”.

The High Commissioner said that, in this context, “humanitarian aid is even more essential. I am concerned about recent initiatives to place undue restrictions on the capacity of NGOs to act., including the asset freeze. I call for the resumption of suspended projects. I am disturbed by the increasing signs of shrinking civic space. Since September my office has documented at least 66 cases of intimidation, harassment, disqualification and criminalization of journalists, media, human rights defenders, aid workers, union leaders and members or supporters of the opposition, including elected members of the 2015 National Assembly and their families, ”he said.

“Today, Five activists remain accused of terrorism and money laundering for providing humanitarian aid as part of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan. Other NGOs continue to be investigated for similar reasons. In January alone, at least three search and seizure operations were carried out in the media. To varying degrees, equipment was seized, offices were closed, staff intimidated and broadcasts were suspended», He detailed.

In this regard, he said that all of this “does not help defuse tensions, on the contrary. The mere threat of arrest has a crippling effect on those who carry out legitimate and essential activities ”.

Finally, he referred to the December electoral law and said his office had documented “at least 15 cases of intimidation and harassment of journalists, and statements conditioning access to social programs to the exercise of the vote were documented. In view of the next electoral cycle, I remind the authorities of their obligation to protect fundamental freedoms and guarantee the conditions for meaningful participation in public life, including dissenting voices. The appointment of the next National Electoral Council is a test for the credibility of the next elections ”.

“I support a inclusive dialogue address the root causes of today’s challenges. A large participation will attest to its authenticity and will be the guarantor of its success, ”he concluded.

The UN report

A UN mission, which denounced last year that Venezuela is committed Crimes against humanity, announced on Wednesday that in the Caribbean country, they continue to report “arbitrary arrests“, extrajudicial executions Yes cases of sexual abuse to detained persons.

Marta Valiñas, Chairman of the United Nations Independent International Mission of Inquiry on Venezuela, presented the Human Rights Council with a update your work in the South American nation.

The mission “Continue to establish the facts and circumstances of the allegations of human rights abuses and violations in Venezuela“Said Valiñas, who hopes to present new” solid findings “in September of this year and into 2022.

This group, formed in 2019, determined last September that the authorities and security forces of the Nicolás Maduro regime engaged since 2014 in serious human rights violations and even crimes against humanity.

The entity has continued its work since then and indicated that it had identified “more than 200 murders committed by the police since the beginning of the year“.

Regarding extrajudicial killings, Valiñas cited examples such as the police operation that was carried out in January in the Caracas neighborhood of La Vega (which Bachelet spoke about today), “one of the deadliest to dateIn which 650 FAES agents participated and where several of the reported killings took place.

The report also focused on the situation arbitrary arrests: “Since September, according to civil society organizations, around 70 political prisoners have been released with alternative measures,” said a paragraph in the statement.

However, he noted, the “ongoing repression (…) against people perceived as “ internal enemies ” or opponents of the government“. In this sense, he warned against “36 new cases (8 women and 28 men) of alleged arbitrary detentions”.

“Some of them seem to have been politically motivated. Some of these people have been indicted under the hate law, charged with hate crimes for criticizing the government and people linked to it, ”he said.

Valiñas said his team will also investigate “complaints of torture and cruel treatment and punishment, including new complaints we have received regarding acts of sexual and gender-based violence against detainees“.

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