Human rights

all the facts and news in Venezuela on Human rights and how it influences all decisions made by Hugo Chavez as president implications for Human rights of the Venezuelan people

Jul
1
2011
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 7/1/11

In this week’s round up… Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez breaks his silence, admitting he had surgery in Havana to remove a cancerous tumor; Chavez’s absence from Caracas raises questions about the future of the ruling party, PSUV, and his ability to continue to govern from abroad; Despite the President’s health crisis, the Chavez government continues its attacks against the free press, launching yet another questionable investigation against TV giant Globovision; and Venezuela has faltered in its fight against human trafficking.

Snap analysis: Chavez’s cancer surgery rocks Venezuela, Reuters

President Hugo Chavez’s announcement that he had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor has shaken up Venezuelan politics ahead of what was already looking like a tight race for the 2012 election. In an emotional speech from Cuba where he said he is recovering, the 56-year-old socialist did not give a timetable for his return to Venezuela and did not name a temporary leader. Here are some implications of his announcement:

Health Woes Cause Chávez to Postpone Key Summit, The Wall Street Journal

Venezuela postponed a regional summit to celebrate its 200th anniversary of independence, a move that is fueling widespread speculation that President Hugo Chávez is gravely ill. Mr. Chávez, holed up in a hospital in Cuba since June 10, was slated to host the two-day summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders on the resort island of Margarita on July 5 and 6.

Venezuela To Probe Coverage Of Prison Riot By Local TV Network, The Wall Street Journal

Venezuelan authorities announced Thursday an investigation into the last major television station in the country openly critical of the government for allegedly attempting to fan civic unrest with what officials called misleading coverage of a prison riot. Globovision, which has been targeted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the past, faces a fine of 10% of gross revenue and could be taken off the air for up to 72 hours for its reports of the ongoing inmate uprising that officials say aimed to generate public unease and disorder.

Venezuela’s endeavors against human trafficking deemed insufficient, El Universal

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton released the “2011 Trafficking in Persons Report.” A total of 184 countries, including the United States, were examined in the paper and it is concluded that as many as 27 million people might be living in slavery throughout the world.

 
Jun
29
2011
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Trafficking in Persons 2011 Report

The US State Department has included Venezuela on a list of nations that could face sanctions along with Cuba, Costa Rica, Panamá and the Dominican Republic for their lack of action in combating human trafficking. The 11th edition of the Trafficking in Persons Report did not see much progress in Venezuela’s efforts to  combat human trafficking, for which it can face a number of sanctions ranging from the suspension of non humanitarian and non commercial aid to the US opposing IMF or World Bank financing.

According to the report presented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. Venezuelan women and girls are found in conditions of sex trafficking within the country, lured from poor interior regions to urban and tourist centers, such as Caracas, Maracaibo, and Margarita Island”.

The report also stated a number of reforms that must happen in order for Venezuela to get on the right track when it comes to combating human trafficking. These reforms include:

  • Modifying its current laws in order to prohibit and adequately reprimand any type of human trafficking
  • Intensifying its efforts to investigate and prosecute cases of forced prostitution and slave labor
  • Prosecuting and jailing the traffickers
  • Providing better specialized assistance to the victims
  • Identifying the victims among vulnerable groups
  • Improving the current databases in regards to these types of felonies

The listing of Venezuela in the report is likely to further deteriorate the already fragile diplomatic relations between both countries. Both countries lack the representation of ambassadors in their territories. Furthermore, the US imposed economic sanctions on the state owned oil company, PDVA, for their dealings with Iran.

 
Jun
24
2011
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 6/14/11

In this week’s roundup… President Hugo Chávez’s illness and absence from the limelight have sparked persistent rumors and speculation about his health and ability to lead; In Chávez’s absence, blackouts, the economy and violence at El Rodeo prison place the president’s actions under harsh scrutiny.

Chávez Illness Sparks Succession Talk, The Wall Street Journal

Venezuelan officials scrambled Thursday to reassure compatriots that President Hugo Chávez was not seriously ill after his brother said the president would remain in a Cuban hospital for up to 12 more days, making it likely that Mr. Chávez will be away from the country for nearly a month.

The absence has sparked furious speculation about the president’s health and led many in Venezuela to ask: What happens if the former army officer who has ruled Venezuela for 12 years is suddenly incapacitated or even dies?

Venezuela prison stand-off: Families’ anxiety grows, BBC Mundo

Relatives wait for news as some inmates are bussed out on Sunday and a stand-off continues in one part of El Rodeo jail Families are unsure when they will see their imprisoned relatives. On 12 June, a riot in one section of the jail, El Rodeo I, left some 20 people dead.

After surgery, Chavez faces troubles in Venezuela, AP

While President Hugo Chavez has been recovering from pelvic surgery in Cuba, his troubles at home in Venezuela have been accumulating.

Hugo Chávez silence fuels fears of power vacuum in Venezuela, Guardian

President has gone uncharacteristically quiet as he recovers from surgery in Cuba, prompting rumours over his health and warnings of instability.

Power shortages dim Chavez’s reelection hopes, Foreign Policy

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez faces the real possibility that he may lose the 2012 presidential election after more than a decade in office, in part because of his administration’s failure to ensure adequate power supplies.

Is Chavez on the electoral ropes?, The Economist via Star Tribune

Hugo Chavez is unwell. The normally voluble, hyperactive Venezuelan president is running his country from a hospital bed in Havana, after emergency surgery June 10 to deal with a “pelvic abscess” that interrupted the latest of his many visits to Cuba. What caused the abscess, or how severe it was, has not been revealed.