Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Here's the actual September 2018 UN-report on Venezuela.
Judi Lynn, this is for you. You are welcome.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/110865759
http://web.archive.org/web/20190130200411/https://chicagoalbasolidarity.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/un-report-on-venezuela-and-ecuador-alfred-de-zayas.pdf
1.The present report summarizes the results of the mission of the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ecuador, two member States of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America,1at the invitation of the respective Governments.
...
5.The present report gives a fresh look at the realities of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ecuador, ... In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, he observed the adverse impacts of inflation, price controls,3contraband,4inefficient distribution, mismanagement, and repression of dissent.
...
15.In June 2015, the Human Rights Committee examined the fourth periodic report of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
...
16.The Committee expressed concern at reports of the alleged commission of human rights violations during protests. While taking into account that some protesters might have resorted to violence, the Committee was concerned at numerous reports of cases of excessive and disproportionate use of force, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and failure to uphold fundamental legal safeguards
...
18.The Committee expressed concern at reports that consultations with indigenous peoples were not held regularly and with full guarantees, particularly when granting concessions for the exploration and development of natural resources. It was also concerned by reports that the legally established procedure for appointing and removing judges was not applied and by the large number of judges appointed to posts on a temporary basis, who, without security of tenure, might find thattheir independence significantly affected (ibid., paras. 9–10). It was further concerned by reports of acts of violence and intimidation against trade union leaders and members (ibid., para. 20).
...
21.Undoubtedly, Venezuelans are suffering from an economic crisis that has generated dysfunctions, scarcity in foods and medicines,22delays in distribution, and accompanying violations of human rights.23
...
22.Observers have identified errors committed by the Chávez and Maduro Governments, noting that there are too many ideologues and too few technocrats in public administration, resulting in government policies that lack coherence and professional management and discourage domestic investment, already crippled by inefficiency and corruption,27which extend to government officials, transnational corporations and entrepreneurs.28Critics warn about the undue influence of the military on government and on the running of enterprises like Petróleos de Venezuela. The lack of regular, publicly available data on nutrition, epidemiology and inflation are said to complicate efforts to provide humanitarian support.2
...
It is estimated that corruption in the oil industry has cost the Government US$ 4.8 billion.32The Attorney General’s Office informed the Independent Expert of pending investigations for embezzlement and extortion against 79 officials of Petróleos de Venezuela, including 22 senior managers. ... The Ministry of Justice estimates corruption losses at some US$ 15 billion.34Other stakeholders, in contrast, assert that anti-corruption programmes are selective and have not sufficiently targeted State institutions, including the military.
...
24.Bearing in mind that the mission had to follow the terms of reference of the mandate, the Independent Expert did not undertake a global inquiry into violations of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.
...
25.Private sector actors have pointed to the State acquisition of private property, price controls39and worsened working conditions as reducing private sector confidence, and thus contributing to an economic crisis in the country. Private sector unions question strict controls on currency exchange, which they say cause businesses to hesitate to price and sell goods for fear of violating the law. In addition, as raised in an ongoing complaint to ILO, business people and some workers’unions have alleged that they are excluded from dialogue that impacts the labour sector and that they have been subject to persecution by the State, contrary to ILO conventions on freedom of association, tripartite consultation and setting minimum wages.
...
Furthermore, staff of the Banco Central de Venezuela explained to the Independent Expert that the pernicious exchange rate published on a website that was not grounded in factual purchase and sale transactions had been negatively impacting the economy, primarily, as a price marker, raising inflations levels, constituting an instrument of war that had risen constantly, accumulating during the year an upward variation trend over 2,465 per cent.
...
5.The present report gives a fresh look at the realities of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ecuador, ... In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, he observed the adverse impacts of inflation, price controls,3contraband,4inefficient distribution, mismanagement, and repression of dissent.
...
15.In June 2015, the Human Rights Committee examined the fourth periodic report of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
...
16.The Committee expressed concern at reports of the alleged commission of human rights violations during protests. While taking into account that some protesters might have resorted to violence, the Committee was concerned at numerous reports of cases of excessive and disproportionate use of force, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and failure to uphold fundamental legal safeguards
...
18.The Committee expressed concern at reports that consultations with indigenous peoples were not held regularly and with full guarantees, particularly when granting concessions for the exploration and development of natural resources. It was also concerned by reports that the legally established procedure for appointing and removing judges was not applied and by the large number of judges appointed to posts on a temporary basis, who, without security of tenure, might find thattheir independence significantly affected (ibid., paras. 9–10). It was further concerned by reports of acts of violence and intimidation against trade union leaders and members (ibid., para. 20).
...
21.Undoubtedly, Venezuelans are suffering from an economic crisis that has generated dysfunctions, scarcity in foods and medicines,22delays in distribution, and accompanying violations of human rights.23
...
22.Observers have identified errors committed by the Chávez and Maduro Governments, noting that there are too many ideologues and too few technocrats in public administration, resulting in government policies that lack coherence and professional management and discourage domestic investment, already crippled by inefficiency and corruption,27which extend to government officials, transnational corporations and entrepreneurs.28Critics warn about the undue influence of the military on government and on the running of enterprises like Petróleos de Venezuela. The lack of regular, publicly available data on nutrition, epidemiology and inflation are said to complicate efforts to provide humanitarian support.2
...
It is estimated that corruption in the oil industry has cost the Government US$ 4.8 billion.32The Attorney General’s Office informed the Independent Expert of pending investigations for embezzlement and extortion against 79 officials of Petróleos de Venezuela, including 22 senior managers. ... The Ministry of Justice estimates corruption losses at some US$ 15 billion.34Other stakeholders, in contrast, assert that anti-corruption programmes are selective and have not sufficiently targeted State institutions, including the military.
...
24.Bearing in mind that the mission had to follow the terms of reference of the mandate, the Independent Expert did not undertake a global inquiry into violations of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.
...
25.Private sector actors have pointed to the State acquisition of private property, price controls39and worsened working conditions as reducing private sector confidence, and thus contributing to an economic crisis in the country. Private sector unions question strict controls on currency exchange, which they say cause businesses to hesitate to price and sell goods for fear of violating the law. In addition, as raised in an ongoing complaint to ILO, business people and some workers’unions have alleged that they are excluded from dialogue that impacts the labour sector and that they have been subject to persecution by the State, contrary to ILO conventions on freedom of association, tripartite consultation and setting minimum wages.
...
Furthermore, staff of the Banco Central de Venezuela explained to the Independent Expert that the pernicious exchange rate published on a website that was not grounded in factual purchase and sale transactions had been negatively impacting the economy, primarily, as a price marker, raising inflations levels, constituting an instrument of war that had risen constantly, accumulating during the year an upward variation trend over 2,465 per cent.
Translation: Official exchange-rates and black-market exchange-rates do not match and the Central Bank blames this on deliberate malevolence by an outside conspiracy.
38.The Banco Central de Venezuela informed the Independent Expert that the sanctions, besides hindering access to external financing and international payments, had affected the normal performance of the national productive apparatus, resulting in a reduction in the supply of local goods and services. For the previous year and a half, the bank had been experiencing difficulties with the correspondent investment of high-level banks;
Translation: Foreign banks don't want to invest in Venezuela.
headed a negotiating team in the Dominican Republic which facilitated talks between the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the opposition. Negotiations advanced to a balanced document entitled “Agreement of DemocraticCoexistence”(annex III) that should have been signed by all sides on 7 February 2018. The Government signed, but, as was reported, a telephone call from Colombia frustrated the two-year negotiating process with the instruction: “Don’t sign”.87Some believe that certain countries do not want to see a peaceful solution of the Venezuelan conflict and prefer to prolong the suffering of the Venezuelan people, expecting that the situation will reach the “humanitarian crisis”threshold and trigger a military intervention.
This came right at a time when the Maduro-government was busy moving the date of the 2018 presidential election around, so political tensions and distrust were high in Venezuela.
Also, this is the paragraph where the "dissident-voice" article just straight-up invented a quote out of thin air. The UN-report never blamed the US. The quote was fake.
42.A disquieting media campaign seeks to forceobservers into a preconceived view that there is a “humanitarian crisis”in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. An independent expert must be wary of hyperbole, bearing in mind that “humanitarian crisis”is aterminus technicusthat can be misused as a pretext for military intervention.97
Translation: Certain terms have different defintions for lay-people and for experts.
44.Although the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has not yet reached the humanitarian crisis threshold, there is hunger, malnutrition, anxiety, anguish and emigration.1
...
learned that in the 19 years since Chávez, 25 elections and referendums had been conducted, 4 of them observed by the Carter Center. The Independent Expert met with the representative of the Carter Center in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who recalled Carter’s positive assessment of the electoral system.124They also discussed the constitutional objections raised by the opposition to the referendum held on 30 July 2017, resulting inthe creation of a Constitutional Assembly.125
...
48.An atmosphere of intimidation accompanied the mission, attempting to pressure the Independent Expert into a predetermined matrix. He received letters from NGOs asking him not to proceed because he was not the “relevant”rapporteur, and almost dictating what should be in the report. Weeks before his arrival, some called the mission a “fake investigation”. Social media insults bordered on “hate speech”and “incitement”. Mobbing before, during and after the mission bore a resemblance to the experience of two American journalists who visited the country in July 2017.128Utilizing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, critics questioned the Independent Expert’s integrity and accused him of bias, demonstrating a culture of intransigence and refusal to accept the duty of anindependent expert to be neutral, objective, dispassionate and to apply his expertise free of external pressures. The idea that an independent expert should think independently and weigh evidence does not seem to have occurred to some critics, for whom human rights are weapons of demonization, not only against governments, but also against experts.129
...
62.The solution to the Venezuelan “crisis”lies in good faith negotiations between the Government and the opposition, an end to the economic war, and the lifting of sanctions
...
65.The Independent Expert recommends that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela:
(a)Continue efforts at dialogue with opposition parties, revive the negotiations hosted in the Dominican Republic by the former prime minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and promote national reconciliation by releasing detainees and granting commutations of sentence;
(b)Invite other special procedures mandate holders to visit the country, besides the Special Rapporteurs on unilateral coercive measures and on the right to development, who have already been invited. The Special Rapporteurs on food, on health, on adequate housing, on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Independent Expert on foreign debt, the Special Rapporteurs on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and other experts would offer valuable expertise;
(c)Welcome humanitarian aid offered by governments, the European Union,142inter-governmental organizations and the private sector;
(d)Continue constructive cooperation with the United Nations treaty bodies and implement their recommendations;
(e)Continue cooperation with FAO and WHO and ask UNODC for assistance in combating the scourge of food and medicine smuggling by national and international rings;
(f)Strengthen cooperation with ILO, deal expeditiously with contentious cases and implement ILO recommendations, including those related to Case No. 2254, by establishing a social dialogue table and action plan;
(g)Strengthen South-South cooperation, including with the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, the Union of South American Nations, SELA and CELAC.In particular, strengthen technical and institutional cooperation between SELA and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for the promotion of sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Latin America, as well as joint actions in the economic, social and trade areas;
(h)Engage proactively with entrepreneurs and a diverse group of non-governmental actors so as to resolve together the prevailing social and political problems.
...
learned that in the 19 years since Chávez, 25 elections and referendums had been conducted, 4 of them observed by the Carter Center. The Independent Expert met with the representative of the Carter Center in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who recalled Carter’s positive assessment of the electoral system.124They also discussed the constitutional objections raised by the opposition to the referendum held on 30 July 2017, resulting inthe creation of a Constitutional Assembly.125
...
48.An atmosphere of intimidation accompanied the mission, attempting to pressure the Independent Expert into a predetermined matrix. He received letters from NGOs asking him not to proceed because he was not the “relevant”rapporteur, and almost dictating what should be in the report. Weeks before his arrival, some called the mission a “fake investigation”. Social media insults bordered on “hate speech”and “incitement”. Mobbing before, during and after the mission bore a resemblance to the experience of two American journalists who visited the country in July 2017.128Utilizing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, critics questioned the Independent Expert’s integrity and accused him of bias, demonstrating a culture of intransigence and refusal to accept the duty of anindependent expert to be neutral, objective, dispassionate and to apply his expertise free of external pressures. The idea that an independent expert should think independently and weigh evidence does not seem to have occurred to some critics, for whom human rights are weapons of demonization, not only against governments, but also against experts.129
...
62.The solution to the Venezuelan “crisis”lies in good faith negotiations between the Government and the opposition, an end to the economic war, and the lifting of sanctions
...
65.The Independent Expert recommends that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela:
(a)Continue efforts at dialogue with opposition parties, revive the negotiations hosted in the Dominican Republic by the former prime minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and promote national reconciliation by releasing detainees and granting commutations of sentence;
(b)Invite other special procedures mandate holders to visit the country, besides the Special Rapporteurs on unilateral coercive measures and on the right to development, who have already been invited. The Special Rapporteurs on food, on health, on adequate housing, on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Independent Expert on foreign debt, the Special Rapporteurs on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and other experts would offer valuable expertise;
(c)Welcome humanitarian aid offered by governments, the European Union,142inter-governmental organizations and the private sector;
(d)Continue constructive cooperation with the United Nations treaty bodies and implement their recommendations;
(e)Continue cooperation with FAO and WHO and ask UNODC for assistance in combating the scourge of food and medicine smuggling by national and international rings;
(f)Strengthen cooperation with ILO, deal expeditiously with contentious cases and implement ILO recommendations, including those related to Case No. 2254, by establishing a social dialogue table and action plan;
(g)Strengthen South-South cooperation, including with the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, the Union of South American Nations, SELA and CELAC.In particular, strengthen technical and institutional cooperation between SELA and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for the promotion of sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Latin America, as well as joint actions in the economic, social and trade areas;
(h)Engage proactively with entrepreneurs and a diverse group of non-governmental actors so as to resolve together the prevailing social and political problems.
In summary:
- Venezuela suffers from corruption and mismanagement and violations of human rights, but things would get better if the sanctions were gone.
- Also, let's not "name and shame" because that might piss off people. Can't we just all be friends?
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
