Statement for the Intersessional ID with the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights on Venezuela. Delivered by the UK's
Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, .
"Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
Over four months have passed since the presidential election, and
the Venezuelan authorities have failed to produce any evidence of
the purported victory. Instead, they have taken further steps to
induce fear, stifle civil society, and clamp down on opposition.
In the last two weeks alone, we have witnessed the approval of
the ‘Simón Bolívar' law, already identified by UN Special
Procedures as a method of persecution against activists and civil
society, and the entry into force of the ‘anti-NGO' law.
Despite some conditional releases, over 1,900 Venezuelans remain
arbitrarily detained. And reports of more such detentions and
enforced disappearances continue to surface. We continue to call
for the immediate and unconditional release of all such
detainees.
High Commissioner,
We note the limited return of your Office to Venezuela, however,
we urge the Venezuelan authorities to provide meaningful
collaboration. Your team needs an increased footprint on the
ground to monitor and document effectively the dire human rights
situation. More importantly, such a presence is vital to fulfil
your protection mandate given the ongoing persecution against the
opposition, and human rights defenders, many of whom have been
forced into hiding or exile.
This repression is unacceptable and it has to stop."
