- Title: U.N. launches investigations into killings, torture in Venezuela
- Date: 27th September 2019
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 27, 2019) (REUTERS) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION ENVOY JULIO BORGES AT PODIUM GIVING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JULIO BORGES, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION ENVOY, SAYING: "Today, a fact-finding mission was approved and that means that not only will the complaint be investigated but the actual cases and the exact responsibility will be investigated-- and the value of these investigations is that they have full legal weight as evidence in all legal proceedings against human rights violators, such that it is a tremendous impulse not just for the complaint but, in this case, for the punishment of those who bear the responsibility of having violated or violating human rights in Venezuela." BORGES TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JULIO BORGES, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION ENVOY, SAYING: "Spain can't be the paradise of Maduro's frontmen. Europe can't be the sanctuary where the relatives of those who torture and steal from 35-million Venezuelans hide. We need to increase the pressure and I think that pressure is going to lead to us to achieving the endgame in Venezuela: internal pressure which is what our people exercise daily, and united international pressure are absolutely indispensable." BORGES TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JULIO BORGES, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION ENVOY, SAYING: "The move of Josep Borrea from Spanish foreign minister to European foreign policy chief will play a very important role in the issue of Venezuela. We feel that Europe can be a great mediator of everything involving the interests of the stakeholders in the Venezuela problem and we feel that -- and it's what is most satisfying-- that the level of clarity that we have been discussing for months with various foreign ministers has gone from hazy to clear and today, they see with absolute clarity who wants a change, who wants human rights, who wants to open the country to a democratic process and who is simply destroying Venezuela in order to be in power and who is even aligning themselves with narco-terrorist groups in order to hold onto power, and what responsibility countries like Cuba bear in this chess game. So we think that, in particular, the meetings with the foreign minister of Spain and the foreign minister of Portugal were very, very positive and that's important to us because they are in some way the voices that Europe most listens to over what happens in Venezuela.' BORGES AT PODIUM GIVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 11th October 2019 16:35
- Keywords: Julio Borges Venezuelan opposition at the United Nations
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYFP45J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuelan opposition politician Julio Borges said on Friday (September 27) the announcement of a United Nations Human Rights Council international fact-finding mission to document violations in Venezuela is a "tremendous impulse" to denounce and punish rights violations in his country.
Borges, speaking at a press conference in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, said a European Union decision to sanction more Venezuelan officials close to President Nicolas Maduro is "very important" but "more is needed."
On Friday, the United Nations Human Rights Council agreed to set up an international fact-finding mission to document violations in Venezuela, including torture and thousands of summary executions.
The resolution condemned "widespread targeted repression and persecution" through what it called the excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, the closing down of media and the erosion of the rule of law.
U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, in a report issued on July 4 after her visit to the Andean country, said that Venezuelan security forces were sending death squads to murder young men staging the scenes to make it look like the victims resisted arrest.
The resolution expressed "grave concern at the fact that there have been at least 6,000 killings resulting from security operations in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela since January 2018 and that, according to information analysed by the High Commissioner, many of these killings may constitute extrajudicial executions". It condemned arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances carried out by security forces, such as the Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales (Special Action Forces) known as FAES, and pro-government civilian armed groups.
Government figures showed that deaths ascribed to criminals resisting arrest numbered 5,287 last year and 1,569 by May 19 this year. The U.N. report said the figures were "shockingly high" and many of them appeared to be extrajudicial executions.
At least 3.7 million Venezuelans are "malnourished" amid shortages of food, vaccines and access to health care, the resolution said.
The government of President Nicolas Maduro has called the U.N. report a "selective and openly partial vision" about the situation.
Venezuela's ambassador Jorge Valero rejected the "hostile resolution" - brought by countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru which are hosting millions of its refugees - as being part of a campaign led by the United States.
(Production: Aaron Raizenberg / Arlene Eiras) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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