OHCHR / TÜRK VENEZUELA VISIT
28-Jan-2023
00:05:03
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk conducted an official mission to Venezuela, at the invitation of the Government. OHCHR
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STORY: OHCHR / TÜRK VENEZUELA VISIT
TRT: 05:03
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE 26 - 28 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
TRT: 05:03
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE 26 - 28 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
SHOTLIST
26 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
1. Wide shot, exterior, Simon Bolivar International Airport at Maiquetia
2. Pan left, arrival of the HC
3. Wide shot, HC Voker Türk speaking with the vice minister of multilateral business, Ruben Dario Molina
27 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
4. Wide shot, Türk, meets with Defender of the People, Alfredo Ruiz, at the Casa Amarilla
5. Various shots, Türk, walking with Venezuelan Ambassador at the United Nations in Geneva, Hector Constante Rosales and Executive secretary of the National Human Rights Council, Larry Devoe, in front of Bolívar Square
26 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
6. Various shots, Türk observing “Council of War painting” by Erwin Oehme, at the National Assembly in the Legislative Palace
27 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
7. Various shots, Türk, meeting with Vice president of Government for Citizen Security, Remigio Ceballos, at the Casa Amarilla
8. Various shots, Türk, meeting with President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro before leaving the Miraflores Palace
9. Wide shot, press conference
10. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The human rights challenges Venezuela faces in the political, economic, and social spheres. The need for national and international actors and the UN to help Venezuela to overcome its crisis. And also, importantly, the chance to begin to overcome the deep divisions and rebuild the social contract between Venezuelans.”
11. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“During frank conversations with the authorities, I raised issues relating to civic space, conditions of detention and judicial delays, among others, encouraging them to take meaningful steps towards reforming the justice and security sectors, and to take the lead in building trust with victims and civil society organisations.”
12. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Following my meeting with President Maduro yesterday, he publicly expressed his readiness to work towards improving the justice system. This is a key area for reform, and I offer the expertise and support of my Office to pursue this.”
13. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“I heard accounts of people being arbitrarily detained and tortured, and family members being killed in security operation and demonstrations. One woman was overcome with emotion as she recounted how two years ago her sister had been detained, raped, and tortured. In my meetings with the President and ministers, I called for all people who have been arbitrarily detained to be released.”
14. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“I was given commitments that torture complaints would be addressed. I encouraged the authorities to take decisive steps to end torture once and for all, and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture which seeks both to prevent torture and improve conditions in detention.”
15. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“My team here conducts regular visits to detention centres but, as I flagged to the authorities, this needs to include all detention centres, including ones run by the military. From my conversations with the authorities, I trust that we will soon have unfettered access to all detention centres in the country,”
16. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“I also urged the authorities to revise the very restrictive legal provisions that criminalise abortion, that lead to deaths of women who are forced to resort to risky clandestine procedures,”
17. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“While the roots of Venezuela’s economic crisis predate the imposition of economic sanctions, as I highlighted in my interactions, it is clear that the sectorial sanctions imposed since August 2017 have exacerbated the economic crisis and hindered human rights,”
18. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“My Office has repeatedly recommended that Member States suspend or lift measures that have a detrimental effect on human rights and that are aggravating the humanitarian situation, a call we make with regard to unilateral coercive measures imposed on other countries too,”
19. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Indigenous peoples also voiced their legitimate grievances and fears for their communities, amid the threats to their livelihoods, culture and even existence from mining operations, drug trafficking organisations and illegal armed groups. It is vital that any decisions affecting them are based on their prior and informed consent.”
1. Wide shot, exterior, Simon Bolivar International Airport at Maiquetia
2. Pan left, arrival of the HC
3. Wide shot, HC Voker Türk speaking with the vice minister of multilateral business, Ruben Dario Molina
27 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
4. Wide shot, Türk, meets with Defender of the People, Alfredo Ruiz, at the Casa Amarilla
5. Various shots, Türk, walking with Venezuelan Ambassador at the United Nations in Geneva, Hector Constante Rosales and Executive secretary of the National Human Rights Council, Larry Devoe, in front of Bolívar Square
26 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
6. Various shots, Türk observing “Council of War painting” by Erwin Oehme, at the National Assembly in the Legislative Palace
27 JANUARY 2023 CARACAS, VENEZUELA
7. Various shots, Türk, meeting with Vice president of Government for Citizen Security, Remigio Ceballos, at the Casa Amarilla
8. Various shots, Türk, meeting with President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro before leaving the Miraflores Palace
9. Wide shot, press conference
10. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The human rights challenges Venezuela faces in the political, economic, and social spheres. The need for national and international actors and the UN to help Venezuela to overcome its crisis. And also, importantly, the chance to begin to overcome the deep divisions and rebuild the social contract between Venezuelans.”
11. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“During frank conversations with the authorities, I raised issues relating to civic space, conditions of detention and judicial delays, among others, encouraging them to take meaningful steps towards reforming the justice and security sectors, and to take the lead in building trust with victims and civil society organisations.”
12. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Following my meeting with President Maduro yesterday, he publicly expressed his readiness to work towards improving the justice system. This is a key area for reform, and I offer the expertise and support of my Office to pursue this.”
13. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“I heard accounts of people being arbitrarily detained and tortured, and family members being killed in security operation and demonstrations. One woman was overcome with emotion as she recounted how two years ago her sister had been detained, raped, and tortured. In my meetings with the President and ministers, I called for all people who have been arbitrarily detained to be released.”
14. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“I was given commitments that torture complaints would be addressed. I encouraged the authorities to take decisive steps to end torture once and for all, and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture which seeks both to prevent torture and improve conditions in detention.”
15. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“My team here conducts regular visits to detention centres but, as I flagged to the authorities, this needs to include all detention centres, including ones run by the military. From my conversations with the authorities, I trust that we will soon have unfettered access to all detention centres in the country,”
16. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“I also urged the authorities to revise the very restrictive legal provisions that criminalise abortion, that lead to deaths of women who are forced to resort to risky clandestine procedures,”
17. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“While the roots of Venezuela’s economic crisis predate the imposition of economic sanctions, as I highlighted in my interactions, it is clear that the sectorial sanctions imposed since August 2017 have exacerbated the economic crisis and hindered human rights,”
18. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“My Office has repeatedly recommended that Member States suspend or lift measures that have a detrimental effect on human rights and that are aggravating the humanitarian situation, a call we make with regard to unilateral coercive measures imposed on other countries too,”
19. SOUNDBITE (English)Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Indigenous peoples also voiced their legitimate grievances and fears for their communities, amid the threats to their livelihoods, culture and even existence from mining operations, drug trafficking organisations and illegal armed groups. It is vital that any decisions affecting them are based on their prior and informed consent.”
STORYLINE
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk conducted an official mission to Venezuela, at the invitation of the Government.
During his visit, which began on Thursday, he met with President Nicolás Maduro, Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Justice and Peace, and the Minister of Defence. He also met the President of the National Assembly and Head of the Government Delegation to the Mexico Dialogue. The talks aimed at addressing the country’s political and economic crises.
The High Commissioner also held meetings with the President of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General and the Ombudsman. In addition, he met with members of the Delegation of the Unitary Platform to the Mexico Dialogue. These meetings gave him a wide and varied perspective about the challenges Venezuela faces.
During the High Commissioner missions to countries, one of the fundamental objectives is to meet as wide array of people as possible. In Caracas, Volker Türk met with more than 125 members of civil society, human rights defenders, victims of human rights violations and representatives of victims’ organizations from across the country. He thanked them for the open and frank meetings they had. And was also deeply appreciate of the insights he gained from meeting representatives of the Roman Catholic Church.
In his press conference, he shared some impressions of this visit, such as the fragmented, divided state of Venezuelan society and the fracture of trust, both between and among constituencies” and the overriding need and eagerness, expressed by many he spoke with, to build bridges to try to heal these divides. “The human rights challenges Venezuela faces in the political, economic, and social spheres. The need for national and international actors and the UN to help Venezuela to overcome its crisis. And also, importantly, the chance to begin to overcome the deep divisions and rebuild the social contract between Venezuelans.”
During all his interactions, he highlighted the importance of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year -- stating that this is not a mere date but a real chance to tackle and advance on many long-standing issues, promote dialogue, and foster healing after decades of rupture.
“During frank conversations with the authorities, I raised issues relating to civic space, conditions of detention and judicial delays, among others, encouraging them to take meaningful steps towards reforming the justice and security sectors, and to take the lead in building trust with victims and civil society organisations,” Türk said.
“Following my meeting with President Maduro yesterday, he publicly expressed his readiness to work towards improving the justice system. This is a key area for reform, and I offer the expertise and support of my Office to pursue this,” he said.
He perceive that there is a general recognition across the political and social spectrum of the need for reform. “I heard accounts of people being arbitrarily detained and tortured, and family members being killed in security operation and demonstrations. One woman was overcome with emotion as she recounted how two years ago her sister had been detained, raped, and tortured. In my meetings with the President and ministers, I called for all people who have been arbitrarily detained to be released,” the High Commissioner said.
This also forms part of his global call to governments to amnesty, pardon or simply release all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights. Among the other issues he raised was the extensive and lengthy use of pre-trial detention and the need for reforms related to people deprived of their liberty. “I was given commitments that torture complaints would be addressed. I encouraged the authorities to take decisive steps to end torture once and for all, and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture which seeks both to prevent torture and improve conditions in detention,” he said.
This would also be in line with Venezuela’s voluntary commitment during the Universal Periodic Review process in Geneva to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing legal framework on torture prevention and to strengthen the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture.
He urged them to ratify the Latin American regional Escazú agreement on the environment and the Convention on Enforced Disappearances. The UN Human Rights team has gathered information about the often dire situation in prisons and the lack of adequate food, medicines and to adequate and timely healthcare - concerns also raised by civil society. “My team here conducts regular visits to detention centres but, as I flagged to the authorities, this needs to include all detention centres, including ones run by the military. From my conversations with the authorities, I trust that we will soon have unfettered access to all detention centres in the country,” Türk said.
At the press conference he said he was able to share our observations – and concerns – from a human rights perspective regarding the proposed law on regulating NGOs. And reiterated the importance of guaranteeing civic space. “I also urged the authorities to revise the very restrictive legal provisions that criminalise abortion, that lead to deaths of women who are forced to resort to risky clandestine procedures,” he said.
The UN Human Rights office has had some access to judicial files and hearings to be able to make recommendations on the conduct of investigations and proceedings from a human rights perspective. This is a positive development, and he encouraged the authorities to make this standard practice.
The economic challenges Venezuela faces, including with respect to the minimum wage and pensions, and the impact this has on people’s daily lives by curtailing their rights to food, water, healthcare, education, and other economic and social rights, were powerfully conveyed to him in meetings with civil society and victims.
They described regular power cuts, lack of running water, teachers quitting their jobs, unable to survive on their monthly pay. Church representatives told me they don’t need to see reports to know what is happening; they see the suffering when they go out on the street to help some of the most vulnerable communities.
According to UN statistics, there are more than seven million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the country.
He heard from across the spectrum of people I spoke to, including humanitarian actors and UN agencies, about the impact of sectorial sanctions on the most vulnerable segments of the population and the hurdles sanctions create for the country’s recovery and development. People he met described their struggle to get basic and essential products to sustain their livelihoods, the impossibility of finding medicines their loved ones so badly need, and the mental impact, anxiety, and depression of falling ever further into debt to survive.
“While the roots of Venezuela’s economic crisis predate the imposition of economic sanctions, as I highlighted in my interactions, it is clear that the sectorial sanctions imposed since August 2017 have exacerbated the economic crisis and hindered human rights,” he said.
“My Office has repeatedly recommended that Member States suspend or lift measures that have a detrimental effect on human rights and that are aggravating the humanitarian situation, a call we make with regard to unilateral coercive measures imposed on other countries too,” Türk said.
“Indigenous peoples also voiced their legitimate grievances and fears for their communities, amid the threats to their livelihoods, culture and even existence from mining operations, drug trafficking organisations and illegal armed groups. It is vital that any decisions affecting them are based on their prior and informed consent.”
He was able to hear from both the Government and the Unitary Platform delegations to the Mexico Dialogue. He reiterated our support for the ongoing discussions and stressed the need to listen to victims in the political process. While in no way underestimate the challenges ahead, he urged them to listen to one another and embark on meaningful dialogue to find a common vision for the future.
He stated that the UN Human Rights office is ready to be a bridge-builder between the State institutions and the people, ready to offer its human rights perspective and expertise, and ready to help ensure that the discourse around human rights is depoliticised and not manipulated.
During his visit, which began on Thursday, he met with President Nicolás Maduro, Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Justice and Peace, and the Minister of Defence. He also met the President of the National Assembly and Head of the Government Delegation to the Mexico Dialogue. The talks aimed at addressing the country’s political and economic crises.
The High Commissioner also held meetings with the President of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General and the Ombudsman. In addition, he met with members of the Delegation of the Unitary Platform to the Mexico Dialogue. These meetings gave him a wide and varied perspective about the challenges Venezuela faces.
During the High Commissioner missions to countries, one of the fundamental objectives is to meet as wide array of people as possible. In Caracas, Volker Türk met with more than 125 members of civil society, human rights defenders, victims of human rights violations and representatives of victims’ organizations from across the country. He thanked them for the open and frank meetings they had. And was also deeply appreciate of the insights he gained from meeting representatives of the Roman Catholic Church.
In his press conference, he shared some impressions of this visit, such as the fragmented, divided state of Venezuelan society and the fracture of trust, both between and among constituencies” and the overriding need and eagerness, expressed by many he spoke with, to build bridges to try to heal these divides. “The human rights challenges Venezuela faces in the political, economic, and social spheres. The need for national and international actors and the UN to help Venezuela to overcome its crisis. And also, importantly, the chance to begin to overcome the deep divisions and rebuild the social contract between Venezuelans.”
During all his interactions, he highlighted the importance of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year -- stating that this is not a mere date but a real chance to tackle and advance on many long-standing issues, promote dialogue, and foster healing after decades of rupture.
“During frank conversations with the authorities, I raised issues relating to civic space, conditions of detention and judicial delays, among others, encouraging them to take meaningful steps towards reforming the justice and security sectors, and to take the lead in building trust with victims and civil society organisations,” Türk said.
“Following my meeting with President Maduro yesterday, he publicly expressed his readiness to work towards improving the justice system. This is a key area for reform, and I offer the expertise and support of my Office to pursue this,” he said.
He perceive that there is a general recognition across the political and social spectrum of the need for reform. “I heard accounts of people being arbitrarily detained and tortured, and family members being killed in security operation and demonstrations. One woman was overcome with emotion as she recounted how two years ago her sister had been detained, raped, and tortured. In my meetings with the President and ministers, I called for all people who have been arbitrarily detained to be released,” the High Commissioner said.
This also forms part of his global call to governments to amnesty, pardon or simply release all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights. Among the other issues he raised was the extensive and lengthy use of pre-trial detention and the need for reforms related to people deprived of their liberty. “I was given commitments that torture complaints would be addressed. I encouraged the authorities to take decisive steps to end torture once and for all, and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture which seeks both to prevent torture and improve conditions in detention,” he said.
This would also be in line with Venezuela’s voluntary commitment during the Universal Periodic Review process in Geneva to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing legal framework on torture prevention and to strengthen the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture.
He urged them to ratify the Latin American regional Escazú agreement on the environment and the Convention on Enforced Disappearances. The UN Human Rights team has gathered information about the often dire situation in prisons and the lack of adequate food, medicines and to adequate and timely healthcare - concerns also raised by civil society. “My team here conducts regular visits to detention centres but, as I flagged to the authorities, this needs to include all detention centres, including ones run by the military. From my conversations with the authorities, I trust that we will soon have unfettered access to all detention centres in the country,” Türk said.
At the press conference he said he was able to share our observations – and concerns – from a human rights perspective regarding the proposed law on regulating NGOs. And reiterated the importance of guaranteeing civic space. “I also urged the authorities to revise the very restrictive legal provisions that criminalise abortion, that lead to deaths of women who are forced to resort to risky clandestine procedures,” he said.
The UN Human Rights office has had some access to judicial files and hearings to be able to make recommendations on the conduct of investigations and proceedings from a human rights perspective. This is a positive development, and he encouraged the authorities to make this standard practice.
The economic challenges Venezuela faces, including with respect to the minimum wage and pensions, and the impact this has on people’s daily lives by curtailing their rights to food, water, healthcare, education, and other economic and social rights, were powerfully conveyed to him in meetings with civil society and victims.
They described regular power cuts, lack of running water, teachers quitting their jobs, unable to survive on their monthly pay. Church representatives told me they don’t need to see reports to know what is happening; they see the suffering when they go out on the street to help some of the most vulnerable communities.
According to UN statistics, there are more than seven million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the country.
He heard from across the spectrum of people I spoke to, including humanitarian actors and UN agencies, about the impact of sectorial sanctions on the most vulnerable segments of the population and the hurdles sanctions create for the country’s recovery and development. People he met described their struggle to get basic and essential products to sustain their livelihoods, the impossibility of finding medicines their loved ones so badly need, and the mental impact, anxiety, and depression of falling ever further into debt to survive.
“While the roots of Venezuela’s economic crisis predate the imposition of economic sanctions, as I highlighted in my interactions, it is clear that the sectorial sanctions imposed since August 2017 have exacerbated the economic crisis and hindered human rights,” he said.
“My Office has repeatedly recommended that Member States suspend or lift measures that have a detrimental effect on human rights and that are aggravating the humanitarian situation, a call we make with regard to unilateral coercive measures imposed on other countries too,” Türk said.
“Indigenous peoples also voiced their legitimate grievances and fears for their communities, amid the threats to their livelihoods, culture and even existence from mining operations, drug trafficking organisations and illegal armed groups. It is vital that any decisions affecting them are based on their prior and informed consent.”
He was able to hear from both the Government and the Unitary Platform delegations to the Mexico Dialogue. He reiterated our support for the ongoing discussions and stressed the need to listen to victims in the political process. While in no way underestimate the challenges ahead, he urged them to listen to one another and embark on meaningful dialogue to find a common vision for the future.
He stated that the UN Human Rights office is ready to be a bridge-builder between the State institutions and the people, ready to offer its human rights perspective and expertise, and ready to help ensure that the discourse around human rights is depoliticised and not manipulated.
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