Venezuela
13.09.17
Statements

The Current Crisis Should be a Human Rights Council Priority

Joint statement

(Geneva, September 8,2017) – UN member states should address Venezuela’s deepening human rights andhumanitarian crisis during the 36th Session of the UN Human RightsCouncil in September 2017, 116 Venezuelan, Latin American, and internationalorganizations said.

The UN High Commissionerfor Human Rights released a report in late August, concluding that extensive human rights violations andabuses have been committed in the context of anti-government protests inVenezuela, which point to “the existence of a policy to repress politicaldissent and instill fear in the population to curb demonstrations.” Accordingto the report, the “generalized and systematic use of excessive force duringdemonstrations and the arbitrary detention of protestors and perceivedpolitical opponents indicate that these were not the illegal or rogue acts ofisolated officials.” The office condemned the use of military courts toprosecute hundreds of civilians, arguing this violates basic due processguarantees. It also stated that some detentions may have constitutedenforced disappearances, in those cases in which authorities refused toacknowledge, for an initial period, the fate or whereabouts of the detainees.In addition, the report concluded that more than half of the 124 officiallyrecorded deaths by the end of July that had occurred in the context ofdemonstrations, had been caused by security agents or armed pro-governmentgroups called “colectivos.” Four people allegedly died after attacks byanti-government groups, and the government claims nine security agents havebeen killed, according to the office.

High-level officials whohave failed to take steps to prevent or punish human rights violationscommitted by their subordinates bear responsibility for the pervasive andserious abuses committed under their watch. The justice system has failed tobring those responsible for abuses to justice, guaranteeing that they are ableto act with absolute impunity.

These human rightsviolations take place in a context of absolute concentration of power, wherethere are no independent institutions left to act as a check on the executive.Since the political take-over of the Supreme Court by former President HugoChávez and his allies in the National Assembly in 2004, the judiciary hasstopped acting as an independent branch of government. Since the oppositionmajority took over the National Assembly in January 2016, the Supreme Court hasstripped the legislature of its most basic powers. The government also controlsthe National Electoral Council, which has failed to conduct elections forgovernors that the Constitution mandated for 2016.

More recently, theMaduro government moved forward with the implementation of a ConstituentAssembly that has frighteningly broad powers that go beyond drafting aconstitution. It was convened in May 2017 through a presidential decree,despite the existing constitutional requirements that prior popularconsultation is needed. It is made up exclusively by government supporters,which were chosen through an election on July 30 that the company hired by thegovernment to verify the results said was fraudulent. Since taking office, itsmembers fired the attorney general, who had become a government critic,appointed a loyalist to the position, and took over legislative powers.

Due to severe shortagesof medicines, medical supplies, and food, millions of Venezuelans cannotadequately feed their families or access the most basic healthcare. Accordingto official statistics, in 2016, maternal mortality increased by 65 percent,infant mortality increased by 30 percent, and malaria cases increased by 76percent. Unofficial studies by Venezuelan universities and civil society groupsindicate that most Venezuelans have changed their eating habits, including manywho eat once a day. Cases of severe malnutrition of children under 5 years oldincreased from 8.9 percent in the last trimester of 2016 to 10.2 percent in thefirst two months of 2017—putting Venezuela above the World Health Organizationlimit of what constitutes a crisis, according to Cáritas Venezuela.

On August 8, 2017, 17foreign affairs ministers from the Americas met in Perú to address Venezuela’scrisis. Twelve of them—11 Latin American governments and Canada—signed the LimaDeclaration, a comprehensive statement that condemns the rupture of democraticorder and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela, states theywill not recognize the Constituent Assembly nor its resolutions, calls to stopthe transfer of weapons to Venezuela, and expresses concern about thehumanitarian crisis and the government’s refusal to accept internationalhumanitarian aid, among others. They also indicated their willingness tosupport efforts towards a credible and good faith negotiation, with the supportof all parties, that aims at restoring democracy in the country peacefully.

As the human rights andhumanitarian crisis worsens, the UN Human Rights Council should drawinspiration from the Lima Declaration and address the situation in Venezuela asa matter of priority. Specifically, member states should send a clear messageto the Venezuelan government that these abuses are not tolerated and thoseresponsible of abuses will eventually be brought to justice when judicialindependence is restored in the country, and call on the Maduro government to:

  • End the repression and releasepolitical prisoners;
  • Set a date for free and fairelections with proper independent oversight;
  • Restore judicial independenceand the powers of the National Assembly; and
  • Immediately allow sufficientinternational humanitarian aid into the country.

The Human Rights Councilshould also take the recommendations of the High Commissioner for Human Rightsinto account and request his office to continue to monitor the human rightssituation in the country closely and report regularly to the Council.

ENDORSEMENTS

Venezuelanorganizations

1. Acceso a la Justicia

2. Acción Ciudadana Contra el SIDA(ACCSI)

3. AcciónSolidaria

4. Amigos Trasplantados de VenezuelaAC

5. Artgnosis asociación civil

6. Asamblea de Educación

7. Asociación Civil Acción Campesina

8. Asociación Civil Conquistando laVida (ACONVIDA)

9. Asociación Civil Fomento delDesarrollo Popular (FUDEP)

10. Asociación Civil Fuerza, Unión, Justicia, Solidaridad y Paz (FUNPAZ AC)

11. Asociación Civil Orgullo Guayana

12. Asociación Civil Radar de los Barrios

13. Asociación Civil UNIANDES

14. Asociación Civil YoReumático

15. Asociación Venezolana de Amigos con Linfoma (AVAL)

16. Asociación Venezolana de pacientes con Enfermedad InflamatoriaIntestinal (AVEPEII)

17. Asociación Venezolana para la Hemofilia

18. Aula Abierta Venezuela

19. Cátedra de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroccidental LisandroAlvarado (UCLA)

20. CentroComunitario de Aprendizaje (CECODAP)

21. Centro de Acción y Defensa por los Derechos Humanos (CADEF)

22. Centro de Atención al Esquizofrénico y Familiares (CATESFAM) Caracas

23. Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Metropolitana (CDH-UNIMET)

24. Centro de Derechos Humanos, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

25. Centro De Divulgación del Conocimiento Económico para la Libertad -CEDICE Libertad

26. Centro de Estudios y Promoción del Desarrollo (DESCO)

27. Centro de Justicia y Paz (CEPAZ)

28. Centro para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Central deVenezuela

29. CIVILIS Derechos Humanos

30. Coalición Clima21

31. Coalición de Organizaciones por el Derecho a la Salud y la Vida(CODEVIDA)

32. Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas yPolíticas de la Universidad del Zulia

33. Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Federación de Colegios de Abogadosde Venezuela del Estado Táchira

34. Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Federación de Colegios de Abogadosde Venezuela del Estado Apure

35. Comisión para los Derechos Humanos del Estado Zulia (CODHEZ)

36. Comisión para los Derechos Humanos y la Ciudadanía (CODEHCIU)

37. Control Ciudadano para la Seguridad, la Defensa y la Fuerza ArmadaNacional

38. Convite AC

39. Correo del Caroní

40. Dialogo por Venezuela

41. Espacio Público

42. EXCUBITUS derechos humanos en educación

43. Federación Nacional de Sociedades de Padres y Representantes(FENASOPADRES) Anzoátegui

44. Federación Nacional de Sociedades de Padres y Representantes(FENASOPADRES) Aragua

45. Federación Nacional de Sociedades de Padres y Representantes(FENASOPADRES)

46. Foro Penal Venezolano

47. Fundación AguaClara

48. Fundación Centro Gumilla

49. Fundación Humano y Libre

50. Fundación Taller de Aprendizaje para las Artes y el Pensamiento (TAAP)Venezuela

51. Grupo de Trabajo sobre Asuntos Indígenas de la Universidad de Los Andes(GTAI-ULA)

52. Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) Venezuela

53. María Estrella de la Mañana A.C

54. Monitor Social A.C

55. MovimientoSOMOS

56. MovimientoVinotinto

57. Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes

58. Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (OVCS)

59. Observatorio Venezolano de la Salud

60. Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones (OVP)

61. Operación Libertad Internacional

62. Organización StopVIH

63. Padres Organizados de Venezuela

64. Prepara Familia

65. Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (PROVEA)

66. Proiuris

67. Promoción Educación y Defensa en DDHH (PROMEDEHUM)

68. Proyecta Ciudadanía A.C

69. Proyecto de Extensión: Educación y Visibilización de los DerechosHumanos de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de Carabobo

70. Red Ara de Venezuela

71. Red por los Derechos Humanos de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes (REDHNNA)

72. Revista SIC del Centro Gumilla

73. SenosAyuda

74. Sinergia, Red Venezolana de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil

75. Sociedad Hominis Iura (SOHI)

76. Todas Somos Venezuela

77. Transparencia Venezuela

78. Un Mundo Sin Mordaza

79. Una Ventana a la Libertad

80. Unión Afirmativa de Venezuela

81. Unión Vecinal para la Participación Ciudadana A.C

InternationalOrganizations

1. Actionfor Solidarity on HIV/aids

2. Asociación Arariwa

3. Asociación de Venezolanos enMéxico

4. Asociación Fuente de Paz

5. Asociación Latinoamericana deOrganizaciones de Promoción al Desarrollo (ALOP)

6. Asociación Paz y Esperanza - Perú

7. Asociación por los DerechosCiviles - Argentina

8. Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos(APRODEH) – Perú

9. Canadian Venezuelan EngagementFoundation - Canada

10. Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez - México

11. Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos "Segundo Montes MozoS.J." (CSMM) - Ecuador

12. Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Justicia y Sociedad (DeJusticia) -Colombia

13. Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular (CINEP) - Colombia

14. Centro Diocesano para los Derechos Humanos Fray Juan de Larios AC

15. CIVICUS;World Alliance for Citizen Participation

16. Conectas Direitos Humanos - Brasil

17. Cooperación Internacional e Integración para el Desarrollo y elEsfuerzo Regional

18. DueProcess of Law Foundation (DPLF)

19. Fundación para la Reconciliación - Colombia

20. Human Rights Watch

21. Humanitas360Institute

22. Iniciativa Por Venezuela - Ginebra

23. InternationalCommission of Jurists

24. InternationalCouncil of Aids Service Organizations (ICASO)

25. InternationalInstitute on Race, Equality and Human Rights

26. International Service for HumanRights

27. Madres de Soacha - Colombia

28. Madres Falsos Positivos Soacha y Bogotá (MAFAPO) - Colombia

29. Movimiento Manuela Ramos

30. Peaceand Hope International

31. Red Para la Infancia y la Adolescencia de El Salvador (RIA)

32. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

33. Tallerde Aprendizaje para las Artes y el Pensamiento (TAAP) Colombia

34. VenEuropa, ASBL

35. WorldOrganization Against Torture – Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)