|
|
Maduro installs a governmental Human Rights Council
an article by Diario de Cuba (abridged)
The Government of Venezuela installed Thursday
[May 1] a National Council for Human Rights, a
body attached to the Executive that, according to
Caracas, will coordinate the actions of state
bodies and non-governmental organizations in this
field and disseminate the "progress " of the
"revolution," according to the EFE press agency.
Venezuelan Vice President Jorge Arreaza
click on photo to enlarge
The Government of Venezuela installed Thursday a
National Council for Human Rights, a body attached
to the Executive that, according to Caracas, will
coordinate the actions of state bodies and non-
governmental organizations in this field and
disseminate the "progress " of the "revolution,"
according to the EFE press agency.
"This Council is intended to coordinate government
authorities and articulate them with human rights
organizations," stated Venezuelan Vice President
Jorge Arreaza .
The government created the Council on the
recommendation of the Foreign Ministers of the
Union of South American Nations (Unasur) who are
acting as third parties in good faith dialogue
between the executive Nicolas Maduro and
opposition to find a solution to the political
crisis the country has experienced for the past
two months .
The vice president himself announced on March 27 the
creation of the agency after receiving the
recommendation of Unasur to establish a human rights
agency linked to the National Executive and the
President.
Arreaza said Wednesday that the aim was "to form a
body that depended on the executive branch and to
address the issues and specific cases of human
rights."
He added that it is "a coordination agency" that
"does not take the place of" the powers vested in
other human rights institutions.
"Some of the criticism and self-criticism that we
have made as a state and that we have received
from human rights organizations have agreed is
that we have not promoted, disseminated, informed
enough about the progress ( ... ) we have made
during these 15 years of revolution," said Arreaza
.
Composed of senior officials, the Council will aim
to find the "how" to obtain "progress" by the
Government on human rights, he said .
To begin the Council has created a commission "to
coordinate the various plans, articulate these
inputs, in order to nurture a national human
rights plan," Arreaza said.
The Council will be composed of thirteen people
including, Arreaza; the Interior Minister, Miguel
Rodríguez ; the Ombudsperson, Gabriela Ramírez;
Attorney General Luisa Ortega , and the president
of the Supreme Court, Gladys Gutierrez.
Also included are the general coordinator of the
Support Network for Justice and Peace, Laura
Roldán, and the president of the American
Foundation for Human Rights and Social Development
(FUNDALATIN) , Eugenia Russian .
NGOs and the opposition have denounced human
rights violations during the protests taking place
in Venezuela since 12 February.
Ortega said last week they have received 145
complaints of alleged violations of human rights
by public safety officers during the protests, of
which 142 relate to cruelty, two to "consummate
deaths" and one complaint of torture.
The protests have sometimes degenerated into
violent actions with an official toll of 41 dead
and over 700 injured. . .
(Click here for a Spanish version of this article)
|
|
DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
What is your impression of the new direction being taken in Venezuela?,
* * * * *
Latest reader comment:
Once again in the beginning of 2014 there are many demonstrations that seemed aimed at overthrowing the Venezuelan government.
Is the United States supporting them in order to abolish a leftist government in "its" hemisphere?
And for an assessment by Tom Hayden, a veteran peace activist of the US and a hero for many of us during the 60's, see his blog.
Hayden states that Obama may not be aware of it, "But there's another US "government", a secret network that works tirelessly to undermine any Latin American threat to the dominance of American capital and military power. They understand that the president must be provided with "plausible deniability", and so they keep Obama out of the loop. Sometimes they operate through the CIA, sometimes under Republican-Democratic "democracy promotion" programs, sometimes through third parties such as the Florida-based FTI Consulting. Democratic Party political consultants and pollsters have worked for Venezuela's opposition. It's difficult even for a president to keep a grip on it all. And that being the case, transparency disappears for the US Congress and public."
Who says there is no "culture of war"?
P.S. In a similar vein, see the analysis by Eva Golinger.
On the other hand, there are complaints of human rights violations against the protesters by the police.
|
|
by program area
Become a CPNN Reporter
