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)