VENEZUELA: Students on hunger strike in Venezuela end their fast

Record ID: 340521

  • Title: VENEZUELA: Students on hunger strike in Venezuela end their fast
  • Date: 9th December 2009
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF STUDENTS WHO ENDED HUNGER STRIKE SINGING NATIONAL ANTHEM
  • Embargoed: 24th December 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Education
  • Reuters ID: LVACMIMJ71LKFX3QXLIIMO6M3MWB
  • Story Text: Venezuelan students end hunger strike, saying they had achieved what they had set out to do.
    Venezuelan university students ended on Wednesday (December 8) a hunger strike that lasted 18 days to protest alleged human rights violations by the government of President Hugo Chavez.
    Eleven students began the hunger strike on November 21 and were joined by more students.
    The students were demanding that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights send a delegation to Venezuela to investigate cases of alleged political persecution.
    Student leader Julio Rivas announced the end of the strike, saying they had obtained their objective.
    "We believe that we have achieved what we asked for. Apart from continuing to insist that the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights has to come here, we are going to prepare a report that will list all of the human right violations carried out by the Venezuela state," he said.
    "(OAS secretary general Jose Miguel) Insulza will come here at the end of January, beginning of February - he will communicate to us later in his own report what the date will be - for an official visit to speak with the government and, of course, he will meet with us regarding our report as well as other political and civilian organizations," Rivas added.
    The students were from different universities throughout Venezuela and hoped for more students from around the country to join them in their efforts to call attention to political prisoners and their claims of rights violations.
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