Joint Statement

por Aula Abierta Prensa · Publicada 10 septiembre, 2017 · Actualizado 3 enero, 2019

Venezuela’s Crisis Should be a Human Rights Council Priority

(Geneva, September 8, 2017) – UN member states should address Venezuela’s deepening human rights and humanitarian crisis during the 36^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2017, 112 Venezuelan, Latin American, and international organizations said.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report in late August, concluding that extensive human rights violations and abuses have been committed in the context of anti-government protests in Venezuela, which point to “the existence of a policy to repress political dissent and instill fear in the population to curb demonstrations.” According to the report, the “generalized and systematic use of excessive force during demonstrations and the arbitrary detention of protestors and perceived political opponents indicate that these were not the illegal or rogue acts of isolated officials.” The office condemned the use of military courts to prosecute hundreds of civilians, arguing this violates basic due process guarantees. It also stated that some detentions may have constituted enforced disappearances, in those cases in which authorities refused to acknowledge, for an initial period, the fate or whereabouts of the detainees. In addition, the report concluded that more than half of the 124 officially recorded deaths by the end of July that had occurred in the context of demonstrations, had been caused by security agents or armed pro-government groups called “colectivos.” Four people allegedly died after attacks by anti-government groups, and the government claims nine security agents have been killed, according to the office.

High-level officials who have failed to take steps to prevent or punish human rights violations committed by their subordinates bear responsibility for the pervasive and serious abuses committed under their watch. The justice system has failed to bring those responsible for abuses to justice, guaranteeing that they are able to act with absolute impunity.

These human rights violations take place in a context of absolute concentration of power, where there 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 Hugo Chávez and his allies in the National Assembly in 2004, the judiciary has stopped acting as an independent branch of government. Since the opposition majority took over the National Assembly in January 2016, the Supreme Court has stripped the legislature of its most basic powers. The government also controls the National Electoral Council, which has failed to conduct elections for governors that the Constitution mandated for 2016.

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

Due to severe shortages of medicines, medical supplies, and food, millions of Venezuelans cannot adequately feed their families or access the most basic healthcare. According to official statistics, in 2016, maternal mortality increased by 65 percent, infant mortality increased by 30 percent, and malaria cases increased by 76 percent. Unofficial studies by Venezuelan universities and civil society groups indicate that most Venezuelans have changed their eating habits, including many who eat once a day. Cases of severe malnutrition of children under 5 years old increased from 8.9 percent in the last trimester of 2016 to 10.2 percent in the first two months of 2017—putting Venezuela above the World Health Organization limit of what constitutes a crisis, according to Cáritas Venezuela.

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

As the human rights and humanitarian crisis worsens, the UN Human Rights Council should draw inspiration from the Lima Declaration and address the situation in Venezuela as a matter of priority. Specifically, member states should send a clear message to the Venezuelan government that these abuses are not tolerated and those responsible of abuses will eventually be brought to justice when judicial independence is restored in the country, and call on the Maduro government to:

End the repression and release political prisoners;
Set a date for free and fair elections with proper independent oversight;
Restore judicial independence and the powers of the National Assembly; and
Immediately allow sufficient international humanitarian aid into the country.

The Human Rights Council should also take the recommendations of the High Commissioner for Human Rights into account and request his office to continue to monitor the human rights situation in the country closely and report regularly to the Council.

ENDORSEMENTS

Venezuelan organizations

Acceso a la Justicia
Acción Solidaria
Amigos Trasplantados de Venezuela AC
Artgnosis asociación civil
Asamblea de Educación
Asociación Civil Acción Campesina
Asociación Civil Conquistando la Vida (ACONVIDA)
Asociación Civil Fomento del Desarrollo Popular (FUDEP)
Asociación Civil Fuerza, Unión, Justicia, Solidaridad y Paz (FUNPAZ AC)
Asociación Civil Orgullo Guayana
Asociación Civil Radar de los Barrios
Asociación Civil YoReumático
Asociación Venezolana de Amigos con Linfoma (AVAL)
Asociación Venezolana de pacientes con Enfermedad Inflamatoria Intestinal (AVEPEII)
Asociación Venezolana para la Hemofilia
Aula Abierta Venezuela
Cátedra de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado (UCLA)
Centro Comunitario de Aprendizaje (CECODAP)
Centro de Acción y Defensa por los Derechos Humanos (CADEF)
Centro de Atención al Esquizofrénico y Familiares (CATESFAM) Caracas
Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Metropolitana (CDH-UNIMET)
Centro de Derechos Humanos, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello
Centro De Divulgación del Conocimiento Económico para la Libertad – CEDICE Libertad
Centro de Estudios y Promoción del Desarrollo (DESCO)
Centro de Justicia y Paz (CEPAZ)
Centro para la Paz y los Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Central de Venezuela
CIVILIS Derechos Humanos
Coalición Clima21
Coalición de Organizaciones por el Derecho a la Salud y la Vida (CODEVIDA)
Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas de la Universidad del Zulia
Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Federación de Colegios de Abogados de Venezuela del Estado Táchira
Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Federación de Colegios de Abogados de Venezuela del Estado Apure
Comisión para los Derecho Humanos del Estado Zulia (CODHEZ)
Comisión para los Derechos Humanos y la Ciudadanía (CODEHCIU)
Control Ciudadano para la Seguridad, la Defensa y la Fuerza Armada Nacional
Convite AC
Correo del Caroní
Dialogo por Venezuela
Espacio Público
EXCUBITUS derechos humanos en educación
Federación Nacional de Sociedades de Padres y Representantes (FENASOPADRES) Anzoátegui
Federación Nacional de Sociedades de Padres y Representantes (FENASOPADRES) Aragua
Federación Nacional de Sociedades de Padres y Representantes (FENASOPADRES)
Foro Penal Venezolano
Foro Penal Venezolano
Fundación AguaClara
Fundación Centro Gumilla
Fundación Humano y Libre
Fundación Taller de Aprendizaje para las Artes y el Pensamiento (TAAP) Venezuela
Grupo de Trabajo sobre Asuntos Indígenas de la Universidad de Los Andes (GTAI-ULA)
Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) Venezuela
María Estrella de la Mañana A.C
Monitor Social A.C
Movimiento SOMOS
Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes
Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (OVCS)
Observatorio Venezolano de la Salud
Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones (OVP)
Operación Libertad Internacional
Organización StopVIH
Padres Organizados de Venezuela
Prepara Familia
Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (PROVEA)
Proiuris
Promoción Educación y Defensa en DDHH (PROMEDEHUM)
Proyecta Ciudadanía A.C
Proyecto de Extensión: Educación y Visibilización de los Derechos Humanos de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de Carabobo
Red Ara de Venezuela
Red por los Derechos Humanos de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes (REDHNNA)
Revista SIC del Centro Gumilla
Sinergia, Red Venezolana de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil
Sociedad Hominis Iura (SOHI)
Todas Somos Venezuela
Transparencia Venezuela
Un Mundo Sin Mordaza
Una Ventana a la Libertad
Unión Afirmativa de Venezuela
Unión Vecinal para la Participación Ciudadana A.C

International Organizations

Action for Solidarity on HIV/aids
Asociación Arariwa
Asociación de Venezolanos en México
Asociación Fuente de Paz
Asociación Latinoamericana de Organizaciones de Promoción al Desarrollo (ALOP)
Asociación Paz y Esperanza – Perú
Asociación por los Derechos Civiles – Argentina
Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (APRODEH) – Perú
Canadian Venezuelan Engagement Foundation – Canada
Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez – México
Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo S.J.” (CSMM) – Ecuador
Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Justicia y Sociedad (DeJusticia) – Colombia
Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular (CINEP) – Colombia
Centro Diocesano para los Derechos Humanos Fray Juan de Larios AC
CIVICUS; World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Conectas Direitos Humanos – Brasil
Cooperación Internacional e Integración para el Desarrollo y el Esfuerzo Regional
Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF)
Fundación para la Reconciliación – Colombia
Human Rights Watch
Humanitas360 Institute
Iniciativa Por Venezuela – Ginebra
International Commission of Jurists
International Council of Aids Service Organizations (ICASO)
International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
International Service for Human Rights
Madres de Soacha – Colombia
Madres Falsos Positivos Soacha y Bogotá (MAFAPO) – Colombia
Movimiento Manuela Ramos
Peace and Hope International
Red Para la Infancia y la Adolescencia de El Salvador (RIA)
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Taller de Aprendizaje para las Artes y el Pensamiento (TAAP) Colombia
Ven Europa, ASBL