Venezuela: rights & IACHR report

Readers will remember that two days after HRW published a report about systematic violations of human rights in Cuba, an inflamed mob of state-sponsored thugs attacked journalist Reinaldo Escobar in Havana, thus providing confirmation of how correct HRW's report was. The fact that political prisoners on hunger strike are left to die, isn't improving Cuba's human rights appalling record. The kangaroo courts of Hugo Chavez, not to be outdone by the other dictatorship in the region, annulled election of anti-Chavez mayor yesterday, the very day the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a scathing report, which criticises the lack of independence in Venezuela's judiciary, and the constant encroachment of civil and political rights. It is worth noting, as explained in IACHR's report under "The modifications of the powers of elected authorities", that this is just another instance -remember Antonio Ledezma- in which a democratically elected official is stripped of its powers and office by the Chavez regime. In the meanwhile Venezuelan diplomats are exposed by the IACHR as nothing but liars.

Perhaps in trying to grant some recognition to Venezuela's social agenda, the report repeated, in point 993, that UNESCO had declared Venezuela "a land free of illiteracy", according to the Venezuelan State. As my readers know, that claim is just another lie of the Chavez regime. But then again, had IACHR officials been allowed into the country, as requested since 2003 without success, they would have surely realised how fallacious such a claim is.

Inter American Commission on Human Rights slashes Venezuela

The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has just published a long and detailed report about Venezuela, which starts thus: "To date, the State has refused to allow the IACHR to visit Venezuela, not only undermining the powers assigned to the Commission as the OAS’s principal body for the promotion and protection of human rights, but also seriously weakening the protection system created by the Organization’s Member States." From there, everything goes south for Hugo Chavez. The question remains though: will the OAS ever do something against the assault on democracy, and systematic undermining of human rights carried out by the Venezuelan putschist? (hat tip Pedro)