Rights Group: Systematic Violations in Venezuela
Judges and prosecutors in Venezuela have repeatedly ignored evidence of
systematic human rights abuses by government security forces, a
prominent human rights group said Monday.
Human Rights Watch said in a new report that dozens of unarmed
protesters have been subject to serious physical and psychological abuse
during protests that have left at least 41 dead since February. Abuses
have included broken bones, denial of medical treatment and threats of
rape or death.
The New York-based organization said it has documented at least 10 cases
serious enough to be considered torture. Its report is based on March
visits to Caracas and the Venezuelan states of Carabobo, Lara, and
Miranda.
Human Rights Watch said that nearly all of the 150 of the victims it
found were denied basic due process, and that many were held
incommunicado and denied access to legal counsel until minutes before
they went to court, often in the middle of the night.
Venezuela's government blames protesters for most of the violence and
abuses and says 15 officials are being investigated for alleged human
rights violations. Human Rights Watch noted that the government says
some 200 security force members and officials have also been injured and
at least nine killed.
Still, "the scale of rights violations we found in Venezuela and the
collaboration of security forces and justice officials in committing
them shows these aren't isolated incidents or the excesses of a few
rogue actors," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human
Rights Watch. "Rather, they are the part of an alarming pattern of abuse
that is the worst we have seen in Venezuela in years."
He said Venezuela should end the rights abuses, investigate ones that
have already occurred and bring those responsible for committing them to
justice. Acts of violence and abuse committed by other parties should
be investigated and prosecuted as well, Vivanco said, regardless of the
political affiliation of suspects or victims.
The Americas director also called on the international community, and
especially the Union of South American Nations, or UNASUR, which
regularly deals with the Venezuelan government to "forcefully condemn"
the abuses.
Maduro has said he considers the ongoing protests to be part of a plan
being undertaken by extreme right groups aiming to provoke an overthrow
of his government.
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Follow Luis Alonso Lugo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luisalonsolugo
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