Amnesty International Warns of Humanitarian Crisis in Venezuela

HAVANA TIMES – The Americas Director at Amnesty International (AI), Erika Guevara, warned on Friday of a possible humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, product of a “lethal cocktail” by the coincidence of several factors.

Guevara told the news channel “Globovision” the oil rich country is experiencing a very difficult situation for the population, noting that AI has a special alert for Venezuela.

“The crisis is not only humanitarian. Venezuela is going through a complex situation on human rights and political and civil issues, there are serious human rights violations committed by authorities and officials of the security forces,” she said.

The AI director made special mention of the crisis caused by the shortage of consumer goods and medicines plus the galloping inflation, which has Venezuelans lining up in shops and supermarkets after scarce goods.

Guevara said that AI is concerned that a continued worsening of this situation “could lead the country into an unprecedented crisis.”

“Venezuela is one of the most violent countries in the world, some Venezuelan cities are world leaders in the number of homicides. We know that there is a lack of control of weapons in civilian hands and there is much despair, a lot of hunger. These are the factors that combined appear like a lethal cocktail,” she said.

Guevara said a dialogue seems the only solution for these problems, but noted it has to be a dialogue that could lead to a reconciliation, “especially of a social nature.”

“People have to be participants not only for the future but the present. The rule of law must prevail and all branches of government have to seek solutions not in their own interests but in the interests of the entire population, without discrimination,” she said.

Guevara added that dialogue must be focused not on political appeals, but on a call to the population “which today faces a crossroads in their family and social life.”

At the same time, Guevara pointed out that the external calls for dialogue and for the Venezuelan government to resolve the problems should not be considered “interference” in internal affairs.

“It is not interference when the life of people is at stake, when bringing food to the table of the population is what is at stake, when the life of the sick is what is at stake,” she said.

The AI representative urged the government and political opposition groups to put the needs of people in the center of “any decision, strategy or dialogue to solve the crisis.”

“It shouldn’t only respond to the current situation but generate mechanisms for sustainability, which have the rule of law as the center piece, strengthening the institutions, which in Venezuela are weakened,” Guevara concluded.