UN Call to Maduro: Release Those Arbitrarily Detained
The UN High Commissioner calls on the Maduro government to release people arbitrarily detained in Venezuela.
By Efecto Cucuyo
HAVANA TIMES – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has called on the government of Nicolas Maduro to release all those who have been arbitrarily detained in Venezuela in the context of the post-electoral protests.
“The High Commissioner calls on the authorities to immediately release all those arbitrarily detained and to end this practice,” said Turk, adding that “everyone has the right to protest peacefully and to express their opinions freely and without fear,” said Türk’s spokesperson, Liz Throssell.
She noted that both the UN and the High Commissioner “have closely followed and continue to follow” the events in Venezuela.
Throssell said the High Commissioner has expressed concern over the numerous cases of arbitrary detention since the end of July of peaceful protesters, including children and adolescents, as well as journalists, members of political parties, human rights defenders, and other voices considered dissidents.
According to information provided by the Caracas government, the number of detainees exceeds 2,000. The majority, 95%, belong to poor neighborhoods, reported Gonzalo Himiob, director of the Penal Forum, an NGO that defends human rights and represents those detained for political reasons.
Guterres and Blinken Also Expressed Concern for Opposition Leaders
The US State Department and the UN shared their concern for the safety of opposition leaders in Venezuela and condemned the policy of violence and “indiscriminate” arrests following the electoral process in that country on July 28.
As reported on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a telephone conversation on Wednesday about Venezuela, in which the international organization expressed the need to peacefully resolve electoral disputes and ensure the transparency of the results.
“The basic points (of the conversation) are what we have stated before” about that process, said Farhan Haq, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, in the daily press briefing today.
He recalled that Guterres continues to call for “the full protection and respect of human rights” in the South American country and that the UN Secretary has urged all parties involved in the process to resolve the dispute by peaceful means.
Blinken and Guterres expressed their concern for the safety and well-being of opposition leaders – María Corina Machado and Edmundo González – following the elections and condemned the violence and political repression, the indiscriminate arrests, and the violation of due process.
Turk Had Already Expressed Concern Over the Situation in Venezuela
On July 30, Türk expressed being “deeply concerned” about recent developments in Venezuela, following the proclamation of Nicolas Maduro as reelected president by the National Electoral Council.
“I am extremely concerned about the escalating tensions in Venezuela, with disturbing reports of violence since the Sunday July 28 elections. Protests have occurred in at least 17 of Venezuela’s 24 states, including the capital, and hundreds of people have been detained, including children,” Türk said in an official statement from his office.