- The organization positively valued the efforts of governments of several countries to guarantee respect for the popular will in the country / Photo: Courtesy/Misión Verdad
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on August 27 that proposals by the presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to repeat presidential elections in Venezuela would be a “mockery” and granting a general amnesty would violate international law and affect the rights of victims.
Juanita Goebertus Estrada, director of the Americas Division of HRW, stated in a letter addressed to the presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Gustavo Petro (Colombia) and Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico), that the human rights organization is concerned about three concrete proposals made by them to resolve the Venezuelan crisis.
The HRW representative added that a “credible” negotiation between all the parties involved is the best way to protect human rights in Venezuela, which is why the organization disagrees with the proposals of Lula, Petro and López Obrador. repeat the electionstrust the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) and grant a general amnesty.
HRW also mentioned in the letter the government repression that followed the announcement of election results by the National Electoral Council (CNE), saying it received reports of 23 protesters and bystanders, as well as a member of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), who died in the context of the protests.
The organization also noted that arbitrary detentions in Venezuela have affected more than 2,000 people, including adolescents and people with disabilities, since July 29.
“In this alarming context, HRW welcomes the efforts of governments in Latin America, Europe and the United States to ensure respect for the popular will expressed at the polls on July 28, as well as to put an end to widespread human rights violations in the country,” the international organization said in its letter.
Proposals to get out of the post-electoral crisis in Venezuela
In the letter, HRW made clear its disagreement with the proposal of the Brazilian government, supported by Colombia, to hold new elections to resolve the post-electoral crisis in Venezuela.
“A basic premise of any election is that it must reflect the expressed will of the people and result in the peaceful transfer of power. To hold elections again because the government of Nicolás Maduro is unwilling to disclose and accept the result of the July 28 vote would make a mockery of this basic democratic principle,” HRW said.
However, the organisation said it agrees with these governments in proposing that a solution to the problem should include guarantees for all political parties to participate in public affairs.
The letter also noted that the proposal to resolve the electoral controversy through institutional means made by Lula, Petro and López Obrador has not yielded results. However, HRW praised that once the On August 22, the Supreme Court confirmed Maduro’s victorythe three presidents chose not to recognize the results until the minutes broken down by voting table are released, as required by the high court’s ruling.
“We urge their governments to insist on independent verification of the results, which should be carried out by a credible and impartial third party,” the organisation said.
Human rights violations
HRW noted that under international law, governments have an obligation to investigate and prosecute human rights violations and international crimes, regarding the proposal for a general amnesty.
In this regard, the organization recalled that the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, as well as national and international human rights organizations, have documented “serious human rights violations” in the country since July 29.
“Respecting these obligations under international human rights law will require strategic criminal investigations that prioritize the prosecution of those most responsible for atrocities and focus on the most serious and egregious crimes,” HRW said.
On August 13, Goebertus had asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to expedite arrest warrants in Venezuela following the cases of repression in the context of post-election protests.
The HRW representative expressed concern about the rapid processing of those arrested for the crime of terrorism.
“This is something different from what happened in the protests of 2014 and 2017 and has a very big implication, and it is that they are automatically deprived of their freedom, they are taken to the terrorism courts in Caracas,” Goebertus added in an interview for the Colombian newspaper. The Weather.
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2024-08-28 18:37:14
