UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : HRC Press Conference: FFM on Venezuela

OK,

um good. Aft. Uh, good morning, everyone.

Thank you all for joining us today for this, uh, press conference with the

independent International Fact finding mission on Venezuela.

Uh, joining us today are all three,

members of the commission in the middle of the chair.

Marta

veins,

uh, to her right? Is, uh, Mr Friend uh, cisco, Uh, Cox

And to my right is Patricia

Tapa.

Um, the mission will be sharing the findings of their latest report to you,

which they are currently scheduled to present

to the Human Rights Council on Friday.

Um, as you may know,

the fact finding mission was established in 2019 by the Human Rights Council

to mandate, uh,

mandated to investigate gross violations of human rights committed since 2014.

So, now, miss, uh, veins

will make an opening statement followed by her colleagues,

and then we'll open the floor to questions.

Thank you.

Good morning. Distinguished members of the press and colleagues.

Today we present the fifth report of the independent International

Fact Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,

which covers the period from 1 September 2023 to 31 August

2024

during this period, we have observed a worsening of the human rights situation,

especially following the presidential elections of 28th of July.

The period covered by our report was marked by acts of repression

in

the period leading up to the presidential elections of 28th of July.

The massive protests that took place after

the National Electoral Council announced President Maduro's victory

and the violent response by security forces and

armed civilian groups aligned with the government,

all orchestrated by the highest civilian and military levels of the government,

including President Maduro.

Our findings are overwhelming.

Not only have there been no improvements,

but the violations have intensified, reaching unprecedented levels of violence.

In the postle

context,

we have documented 25 confirmed deaths,

most of them young people under 30 years old from popular neighbourhoods.

There are two Children among them.

One of the victims is a member of the Bolivarian National Guard.

Of these 25 victims, we have confirmed that 24 died from gunshot wounds,

the other was beaten to death.

The government claims that there are two more victims, one of whom,

another member of the Bolivarian National Guard,

apparently died in a traffic accident,

but the government has not shared any details

despite our formal written request for information.

Although we have initiated our investigations into these cases,

we do not yet have sufficient evidence to attribute responsibility for the deaths.

However,

we can confirm the presence of security forces such as

the Bolivarian National Guard and the Bolivarian National Police,

sometimes accompanied by groups of armed civilians

who fired on demonstrators during the protests

between 29th of July

and sixth of August,

Venezuelan authorities admitted to having arrested more than 2200 people.

Of these, we have confirmed the arrest of at least 100 and 58 Children,

some with disabilities

and accused of serious crimes such as terrorism

and incitement to hatred.

This phenomenon is something new and extremely worrying.

We are facing a systematic co-ordinated

and deliberate repression by the Venezuelan government

which responds to a conscious plan

to silence any form of dissent.

As part of this plan, the government has instrumentals the entire state apparatus,

including especially the justice system,

with a view to silencing any type

of difference of opinion that opposes its scheme and to staying in power at any price

thank you, Martha.

I would like to share more details on the systematic violation we have investigated

during the period between December 2023 and March 2024.

We have investigated 39 arrests

that we consider according to our standard of proof, to have been arbitrary.

The government invoked conspiracy to carry out this and another arrest

affecting more than

34 people.

Excuse me, 48 people, including civilians and military personnel.

In addition,

in the three weeks of the electoral campaign between 4th and 25 of July,

we documented the arrest of 121 people,

most of whom were arrested simply

for having participated or collaborated

in opposition campaign events.

The increase in repression after the elections was even more brutal,

as Marta already indicated.

In the week after the elections,

the number of people arrested exceeded

2200 people.

According to figures provided by the government itself.

We had been able to verify that at least 143 of these arrests

involved members of seven opposition parties,

including 66 leaders of political movements.

Politically, politically motivated persecution is evident.

These figures represent a level of repression

that we have not seen

since

2019

of the people detaining in this period. Many were subjected to torture

and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,

as well as sexual violence

which was perpetrated against women and girls but also against men.

We reported electric shocks, beating with blunt objects,

suffocation with plastic bags,

immersion in cold water and forced sleep deprivation,

among others.

And we also

and we also reported touching of breast Botox and genitals,

forced nudity and invasive searches.

We further documented preliminary elements of what could be more than

25 short term enforced disappearances since

the announcement of the election result

previously since December 2023.

After a process of strict investigation and analysis,

we concluded that at least 15 short term forces disappearances took place.

The anguish and fears of families in this situation

is indescribable.

We are also concerned about the increasingly intense closure of civic space.

Freedom of expression was severely limited

by attacks and judicial persecution against journalists,

social media influencers or anonymous people who simply share

critical opinions toward the government on their social networks.

We documented the arrest of at least 16 journalists and social communicators

legislative initiatives in this period

through a national assembly which is also

subordinated to the government restricted civic space.

More

In our report, we mentioned in particular

the so called NGO S Law,

which places arbitrary limitations on the

autonomous functioning of civil society organisations,

especially human rights defenders.

This law was passed on

This law, Excuse me was passed on 15 August

in the midst of the post election protests. We moreover, mentioned

the Fascists Law

which criminalise any political option different

from that the government

from that of the government,

and propose severe

penal and administrative sanction for individuals,

media outlets, nongovernmental organisations and political parties.

We are deeply concerned about the safety of all

human rights defenders and that of their families.

Their voices are essential to ensure that violation continue to be documented

and that victims are not forgotten.

These figures represents only a small sample of the reality faced by

thousands of people in Venezuela today.

Thank you, Patricia.

the figures we have presented revealed the extent of violations committed.

We cannot ignore that these violations were

present a clear and deliberate line of conduct

by the authorities of politically motivated persecution.

We have come to the conclusion that many

of these violations constitute crimes against humanity.

In previous reports, we had already documented how the government of Venezuela

used

systematic repression to remain in power.

Today in this report,

we confirm that this repression has reached an unprecedented level.

President Maduro himself announced on

sixth of August exact

exactly 2229 arrests since 29 July.

This was the result of the so called Braz

Tun Tun,

which was announced in a mix of a mocking and threatening tone

following this presidential order,

without any attachment to legality or respect for the rule of law,

we documented more than 40 cases in which the security forces

entered private homes without warrants,

just using using social media videos as the only evidence

to arrest people who they thought had participated in protests

or who had expressed

criticism

in social media.

In several cases,

the houses in popular neighbourhoods of people

who participated in protest or expressed criticism

were even marked with an X,

as Patricia mentioned before,

we have documented that in several cases the detained people

were subject to acts of torture and ill treatment

as well as sexual violence.

President Maduro even suggested that all people should be

sent to labour camps to be re educated.

According to our investigations,

all these arrests involved and were followed by serious violations

of due process

reaching unprecedented levels in the country.

The criminal proceedings initiated against detainees

systematically failed to comply with the minimum

guarantees of due process.

The attorney general announced before the people

were arrested that they would be charged

with crimes as serious as terrorism and incitement to hatred,

even against Children with disabilities. As Martha mentioned,

we have ratified our previous conclusion that

the justice system and especially the criminal system

led by the Supreme Court,

its criminal appeal chamber and it's four terrorism courts

is manifestly subordinated to the interest of the executive power

and has become a key instrument in the state's plan to repress all kind of political

and social dissent.

These courts are monopolising the

proceedings against detainees after the elections

who are not allowed to have lawyers of

their choice and tried in collected judicial proceedings

without

individualising charges against them,

which take place at night in detention centres

without effective public defenders,

without publicity and without being able to participate in the proceedings.

Victims and a large part of the general

population are exposed to an arbitrary exercise of power

where arbitrary detention is systematic,

systematically used together with

serious violations of due process.

We have previously warned that the government could

activate the repressive apparatus at will and indeed

that is what we are observing.

Repression and human rights violations are widespread and systematic,

and we must act urgently to protect victims and

ensure that those responsible are held into account.

Thank you,

Patricia

and Francisco.

Some of the human rights violations we have investigated

during this period represent a continuation of the same

course of conduct that we previously characterised as crimes against humanity.

These violations were not the result of isolated

or random events,

but rather are part of a series of events committed

in implementation of a co ordinated plan to silence,

discourage

and suffocate the opposition to President Maduro's government.

Taking into account this course of conduct,

the state

plan that we have mentioned

the profile of the victims

and the public statements issued by high ranking state representatives.

We have reasonable grounds to believe that

during the timeframe covered by our mandate

the crime of persecution

on political grounds has been committed in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Thank you. We look forward to answering questions from the press.

Thank you.

Let's take one question from the back.

If you could just please identify yourself and the media outlet that you work for.

Please go ahead. Thanks. Yes, thank you. I'm working for

my

name

is

I

would like to ask you two quick questions. The first question is about the EU top

diplomat, Borrell,

who on Sunday called the Venezuelan government dictatorial.

So I wanted to ask you if you share the same analysis and why.

If you could explain, why does it matter

to qualify the Venezuelan government?

And a quick question I wanted to ask you if you have studied or

plan to look at the allegations concerning

the presence of the Russian mercenary group Wagner

last month during the elections. Thank you.

Thank you for your question.

We believe that, more importantly than qualifying politically, uh,

what this government is or is not is to document

what is happening in terms of facts on the ground.

And what we have been documenting is a violation of several

um

uh, human rights. Uh, of course, the the the ones mentioned in our mandate.

Most of all, um,

and we have given you an account

of all the

serious violations that have been committed,

including violations of the process,

violations to the right to life,

to not being, uh,

illegally imprisoned, Uh, not being subject to torture and so on.

And we believe that

that is the most important thing. That is what our mandate, uh, also tells us to do.

It

is clear that

there is also, um,

in Venezuela at the moment. And we have pointed out last year as well

violations of

fundamental civil and political rights, Uh, including the right to, um,

participate in

public decisions and in political life.

Uh, and this,

of course, includes the right to,

uh, be able to express your views to have a democratic dialogue.

Uh, all of this, I think, is what leads some

observers and some, um, important institutions and their representatives to,

uh, qualify the government, Uh, and as as a dictatorship.

But we really believe that.

Most importantly, our role is to document the facts rather than

qualify the political Um

um

mm. System uh uh, in Venezuela today,

Uh, I will leave to one of my colleagues to answer your second question.

And

we

we were in the process of documenting

this, uh, report,

and

so we had to shift a little bit the focus of our report

because of the events that were occurring after the elections.

Um, we have,

uh, received information and documented and reported

that civilians are participating in parts of the repression

with the

acquiescence or tolerance of

members of the security forces. Like the guard,

the police.

We don't We haven't not received information about the Wagner group.

if we are renewed,

then we have to

go

on with the investigation.

But so far, we have not received information in that sense. Thank you.

Ok, thank you. Um

uh, Jamie from the Associated Press. Did you have a question?

Yes. Thank you, IIII. I suspect my question is from Madam Valens.

just two questions that are kind of related.

we've seen some accusations in recent days from

the Venezuelan government about an assassination attempt.

Uh, they've arrested some people. Um

uh, do you have any sign that that is credible or in or not? credible.

Um, those allegations.

Do you have you Have you been able to assess those, uh, allegations at all?

And, um, just more broadly, um,

you know, you you issue a number of recommendations in at the end of your report,

but what really can be done here?

I mean, we're talking about, uh uh uh uh,

uh A government that has been in power for a number of years.

There was obviously

an attempt of Western backed attempt to bring in

another president that didn't seem to go very far.

Um, what really can be done?

Um, what should the international community be doing?

And what should Venezuelans themselves be doing

to try to make sure that that

there's some sort of a change in government or a greater democracy in Venezuela?

Thank you.

Thank you for your question. In

relation to the recent allegations of an attempt to assassinate President Maduro,

we cannot really say anything.

First of all because our investigations for the report we are now publishing

were finished by the end of August, so it doesn't cover this period.

Nonetheless,

this type of allegations of

assassination attempts or conspiracies to

to overthrow the government to attack

government institutions to assassinate the president

are nothing new.

In fact, we have seen several of those allegations of so called conspiracies.

And I'm saying so called because it is also

not part of our mandate as we understand it,

to investigate whether these are serious conspiracies or not.

What we can say and we have said in several

of our reports and in our most recent report again,

is that

on the ground of these alleged conspiracies,

several human rights violations have been committed.

We in our current report, we,

uh, take note that

only since December 2023 there have been, according to the authorities,

10 so called conspiracies which have led to the detention of at least 48 persons and

warrants of arrest being issued against another 15.

And this is only in the period between December 2023 and March 2024.

Now, we have investigated 25 of these cases,

and, uh,

for example, only, uh,

80 of of these individuals that have been detained and 66 against whom

warrants of arrest were issued belong to

the opposition party of the candidate Maria Corina Machado.

What we have found is that

in these detentions, not only serious

due process

guarantees serious violations of due process guarantees are committed.

Detentions are arbitrary.

And

clearly

the individuals being targeted include

persons,

as I just mentioned that are members

of political parties of the political opposition.

Uh, but also we've seen, um,

human rights defenders. Rocio

San

Miguel is one of them who has been detained

allegedly because of being, um,

according to the authorities linked to one of these conspiracies,

Uh, but, uh,

journalists and other members of civil society

and we find this extremely concerning,

um, So the use of the alleged conspiracies to actually

silence,

um, critical voices or those that are seen by the government as,

uh, threats to

to to to their power. And And people who,

uh, they seen, uh, they see as opposing them.

So, um, we actually, uh I think, uh, are concerned with a new allegation of

another conspiracy or assassination attempt and what that may

mean in terms of further violations of human rights.

Patricia.

Well, I am just trying to say something because

there are many, many people

in many parts of the world asking

what really can be done about the Venezuela?

Uh, because if you

if you look around, there are many things that, for example, try to

to categorise the the

the regime as a political regime, that is,

it puts very nervous to the authorities of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

But this

is the right of the political

scientist to to say about what kind of political regime is,

and nothing happens.

The international denounce and the international condemnation of the regime,

uh, is also,

uh, a tactic that many countries put in place

and the regime of the government

answer with the ironic sentences.

Because this is a very common way of

talking mock about the people,

the people who are suffering, also who are in prison

insulting them,

saying that they are guilty of horrible crimes, etcetera.

So, um, from my point of view, and

our view is is very difficult because the international scenario

and because, um,

until today

the government showed that

is not a very big problem from them,

uh, hearing every day, this kind of qualification.

But,

uh, perhaps, is a problem that they dedicate most of the

the time of each day

to insult and, uh, but

basically basically, insult all the people, all the citizens, all the countries,

including the in in the middle of all these insults.

And they make a lot of bloopers

and declaring, for example, that they are

leading the international fascist,

uh, order or something like that. So,

I think that the the main point is,

uh, not to feel tired about this

and continue

to say what is really

happening

inside Venezuela

and, uh, also highlights that there is no

other, uh, migration

so huge that the Venezuelan

in the region,

the role of, uh,

the countries of the region,

from our point of view is is a key role,

and they have to to

talk each other

to go forward.

This is, um,

in the other hand,

the government will continue to suffocate and to try to eliminate

in a symbolic but also in a physical way,

all kind of opposition,

because until today, the only,

um, the only will that we can see is the

A strong will to maintain the power, the business and the benefits,

uh, to be in the power.

Yeah, just

briefly. Um

I think

as

Patricia was saying each member of the international community must

to

comply with their duty

So the Human Rights Council must keep an eye on the situation in Venezuela.

members and states

who have embassies in Caracas should open the doors

and give refuge to those who are persecuted,

as we have reported

since, and

provide the protection that

international law gives them.

Uh, in front of these human rights violations,

accountability is also important. So

we have created an international criminal court

to make it function.

So

since there is an investigation ongoing,

um, the International Criminal Court,

uh, could be active in this situation.

And

of course, they're independent and they make their own decisions.

But I think it's important that they play the role, too.

And some member states have universal jurisdiction

that are ongoing, like Argentina,

and that is also, uh, a key part of this element.

Our role is to

at least our mandate ends out if they renew. The mandate

is to keep documenting these human rights violations and crimes against humanity.

Just a very quick follow up.

I mean,

you you mentioned two things that are Are you mentioned

the international criminal court and you mentioned the regional countries.

I mean, I really wanted to try to, um,

move forward on this idea of what actually can be done, for example.

I mean, does it need to have

or regional pressure on the government?

I mean, we've obviously seen a a change of government not too long,

not too long ago in neighbouring Colombia,

which is kind of changed the make up of the region.

We have, um

you know,

there There's obviously the effort to install

Juan guaido by other other countries.

but but I'm just wondering if if, for example, ideas like

trying to give an exit ramp to Maduro so that he could go and live in another country.

Uh uh, truth and reconciliation.

Um um Commission Or or or some sort of other external, uh,

judicial or or or or or reconciliation mechanism

that could, uh that could, for example, um, clear or or or

give some sort of reckoning to to, um, the military, for example,

or the paramilitary groups and various others or judicial system.

I.

I just wondering if if any of those ideas, uh,

are kind of on the plate for you Have you seen anything along those lines?

Thank you. Um, well,

in terms of what could be some of

the exit strategies or negotiation political negotiation strategies,

we won't really

make a statement about that. Because it's it's really not part of our mandate to to

make recommendations about the political Let's say

solution.

But we

do, uh, find it incredibly, um, important at this point that there is, um,

you mentioned regional pressure pressure by by by other

countries in in the Latin American region and and,

uh, those that are perhaps closer to Venezuela.

and

yes, I think that is part of what Patricia was was mentioning before,

uh, that it is important that,

uh, all countries including, of course, those that may have, um,

uh,

more channels of communication with the

Venezuelan authorities,

Um, as well as institutions, international, regional institutions

that Francisco mentioned. It is very important that all

of these actors continue to

place, uh,

Venezuela and the human rights violations that are

taking place there in the centre of the discussion

beyond any ideological or political

interests and stances.

Uh, it is very important, therefore also that when thinking of a

possible transition or uh uh,

negotiation

that We also keep

the,

ideas and concepts of justice and reparation at the centre of the discussion.

So whatever, um, could be, uh uh, The solution to the current political crisis

in Venezuela

has to also take take into account that we

have been living and are living at the moment,

a serious human rights crisis.

Beyond, of course,

the humanitarian crisis that Patricia also alluded to with the mass exodus

that we have seen in the past years

and may

see again, a research thereof,

because of the discontent and the level of

frustration of the population in the country.

But what needs to be at the centre is justice for

and accountability for the violations that have been committed,

um, reparation for the victims that have suffered these violations.

And, of course,

all the reforms and changes not only in institutions and legislation, but also

and most importantly,

in the practises of state security forces

and other state institutions that have been

deeply involved in the commission of the violations that we have,

um, outlined in our different reports.

Thank you.

Thank you. Um, we'll take one more question from the room.

and then we'll go to those of you who are joining us online. Um,

please go ahead.

Isabel

Sacco

with

Spanish news agency.

Um, I would like to rebound on the issue of migration and the risk of a new wave of, uh,

Venezuelan people migrating from the from their country.

And do you see

from the conversations that, uh, that you have had during the last month and a half?

Uh,

with people, uh, inside and outside Venezuela,

the signs that people inside that again willing massively to get out of the country.

And second question is, um, I read that in the report that

there are among the people arrested, they are military personnel,

and I would like to know if this the number of people, uh, military or security forces

people arrested is meaningful.

And if this you have also seen any sign of a break of the unity,

uh, in the

military cor

sink,

I mean what we've seen so far.

I mean, if you see the borders, it doesn't seem that there has been an

and in

a large increase in numbers of people leaving Venezuela.

but it might

I mean,

obviously all countries are

who have borders and have received a lot of, uh, migrants from Venezuela

are alert

and, um,

monitoring the situation.

But from what we've seen so far, it hasn't happened.

it'll depend, I guess on a

lot of things. Um,

the level if the level of repression continues,

if the human entering crisis

uh, increases,

of course, this this will have an impact. And I think it's it's, uh

it's foreseeable that this will be the consequence

both of humanitarian crisis and human rights crisis.

Yes,

I would add to that one thing that our team of investigators has noticed also is that

due to the most recent wave of repression, uh, people that we are speaking with

who are in Venezuela

are

increasingly afraid to speak out against what has happened to them.

What is happening at the moment

and and this means that people are

indeed afraid, are afraid to speak out, are afraid to

live

normally

in their country, especially when they have a profile of someone who

either because they

are journalists or human rights defenders,

members of civil society who express their

views about the situation in their country.

People are afraid of doing their job.

And so

all of this together, uh, could contribute to a new wave of migration as well Of, uh,

not my well of

people fleeing the country.

and this also, of course, might include members of the political opposition.

And that has happened in the past as already. We have several

key, uh,

members of the political opposition who I remind you live in exile.

Uh, already for some years. And and that's because

of the politically motivated persecution that we have spoken about.

Now, regarding your question about,

um, military personnel,

we have documented already in several of our, uh,

previous report and again in this one,

that there have been several members of

the military who, uh,

have been accused of being involved in the

so called conspiracies to overthrow the government.

And, um, they have been arbitrarily detained. We have seen in this in the period

covered by our current report.

Uh, actually, uh, sentences being handed down,

uh, in

in one of those cases, uh, linked to the so called, uh, opera

Jon.

Uh,

we're talking about very,

uh, high, very severe sentences, uh,

applied to these individuals and and when I

say these individuals are both members of the military

and people that are not members of the military but are associated with them

and that have been implicated in these conspiracies.

And so

even if the numbers are not as high as

maybe civilians that have been detained,

definitely these cases have also

special effect on others

that

would be

considering

expressing their views against the government and who belong to the

military or are associated with persons who belong to the military.

So we believe that this also has a chilling

effect in the same way that the detention of

human rights defender has in civil society and other

human rights defenders or a detention of a journalist has

in the work of other journalists. So we do think that these detentions

and the severe sentences handed down on these individuals

has has a very big and important impact,

and also in the ability of

those within the military who may

wish to

not follow the orders of the government.

Thank you.

Ok, thank you. Um, let's go to some questions online.

We'll take the first one from Bianca Rot

from the global TV, uh, in Brazil.

Yes. Hi. Thanks. Uh, thanks a lot.

Yeah. You You were talking about the importance of the international pressure.

So from all you investigated, if, uh, the pressure from Brazil,

I mean the largest democracy in South America.

If the pressure of Brazil or Nicolas Maduro regime have been stronger,

would the situation be different now?

Do you think the tensions and deaths could have

been avoided with a stronger pressure from Lula?

And do you think the situation can

still deteriorate even more?

Thanks.

Well, um,

it is difficult to see the future,

but, um,

one of the big problems that have the Bolivarian government

is that they are not, um

they are not delivering signs of, uh, be open to dialogue.

And this is one of the most difficult

attitude,

um, to evaluate from outside

in terms of, uh,

in terms of, of seeing, what are the real possibility to be closer and to

to have a conversation about the

near future.

But, um,

of course, the

the geopolitical situation of Brazil and the size of

the country and the historic role in the region.

In addition, that has

a

very extensive border with Venezuela.

Uh,

there are all, um,

there are all, uh, characteristics

that it seems to be that, uh, a strong position from Brazil. Perhaps

Perhaps only perhaps,

uh, could persuade, uh, persuade, uh, Nicolas Maduro

to, um initiate.

And I

I have to emphasise, initiate a serious conversation about, uh, a possible,

um, way

to go forward in this situation

because until today

the at least, the speakers from the Colombia

and Brazil mainly, And in

a,

uh, less, uh, voice, uh, Mexico

expressed to the who are not members of those governments

that there is no easy conversation.

And there is no easy situation to start a real conversation

with the Bolivarian government. So Brazil is really an important country.

It was quite confused sometimes the messages that from Itamar

and from the president also,

But, uh, we hope

that can play a meaningful role

because their history, because the

relevance of the trade between two nations and

between the and because the extension of the border

OK, thank you. Um, we'll go to, uh, Lauren Sierra from the Swiss News Agency.

Yeah. Thanks for taking my question. Um,

in a in a previous report in 2022

you could say that, um, sources, um,

had identified Di direct link between the president Maduro and

orders that were given in certain instances for arrest.

And that was the case as well for his wife for,

uh,

the president of the Constituent National Assembly and the former vice president,

who then became minister.

So in the whole period, uh, before and after this, uh, presidential election,

Uh, could you also verify, uh, direct instances where

orders for certain arrests,

and or for certain violations were directly given by

the President and by other high ranking officials?

Thank you.

as we say in the report,

these acts,

are in the line of conduct that we have been

reporting before and during all of our mandate period.

in this instance, we

see the public statements

of Maduro

of

tos,

Digo, cabello

and

the actions taken

by even by the the prosecutor, the general prosecutor.

And

and they all fit in with the same pattern that we have identified previously in

this instance. Since we

were

kind of caught

by time,

we were not able to,

uh, document insiders giving us

the direct information.

But we think that if one reviews the public statements of the authorities

and

the

as we mentioned opera

Tun Tun

the fact that,

um, they gave the numbers. I mean, the public numbers of detainees were higher even

than those reported by NGO S.

Um, I think we can say that

it satisfies

that,

as we said, is in the same line of conduct

and that these, uh

would

we have reasonable basis to believe that

the crime of persecution is being committed, has been committed also previously

and that

we are seeing arbitrary detentions with no judicial orders

with no, uh,

factual sustain,

uh,

factual grounds for in

flagrante deli.

so yeah.

OK,

um, thank you. Let's go to, uh, Emma Farge from Reuters.

Good morning.

I think I'm right in saying that the mandate

is up for renewal at the current council meeting.

Um, I was wondering how hopeful you were feeling about that,

and maybe you could say a word about how important it is. Um, that you continue

your work in the current context. Thank you.

Thank you. Um,

well, what is the most important thing, as we already mentioned,

is that really Venezuela is part of the discussions of

the Human Rights Council continues to be part of,

uh, the discussions and the attention

of the Human Rights Council and its members.

Um, and

in that respect, we, uh,

do believe that, uh, a renewal of the mandate of the mission, but also

that of the office of the High Commissioner.

Um, a renewed

call for the Venezuelan authorities to allow,

um, special procedures also, um, uh,

special procedure mandate holders to enter the country and analyse the situation.

Uh, all of these actors of the United Nations, I think,

have a very important role to play

in

documenting analysing the situation, formulating recommendations and,

of course, the members of the council to take action.

also, as we have noted in our report,

we have had a very limited time to conduct

investigations on what has happened after the elections.

As I mentioned before, our investigations for the current report

had to

end by,

uh

uh, by the end of August. So we had

one month really to conduct investigations, and we believe that we need more time

to

investigate further and deeper

some of the violations that have occurred in the

pre and post electoral context

and of course, in the current

weeks. And so

we do see that we have work to do. Still, shall our mandate be renewed?

Thank you.

Ok, uh, let's go to Lisa Schlein from the Voice of America.

Yes. Good morning.

a couple of questions first.

Have you

Have you given your report to the government and have you received any response

And also on the question of sanctions? Are they actually

effective or not? Should they continue to be used and thinking,

Uh, mo, most recently about the United States,

which did have a lot of sanctions on Venezuela

and, uh, lifted the sanctions in the hopes of, uh, having a, uh,

freer democratic election, which didn't occur.

Uh, So should they be imposed, or do you believe that they are ineffective?

And they they indeed

are, uh, very harmful to the population

at large. And this should not be used as a pressure point. Thank you.

Thank you very much for the question.

As, uh, any

in any occasion that we come to the

Human Rights Council to report we offer previously,

uh, to the government. We write to the government offering

the report,

as we

usually write to ask some question or ask for,

uh, the possibility to receive, uh, judicial,

uh, files to complete our investigation. But

we never had the privilege to receive an answer from the government.

And regarding the sanctions, we are usually not given opinion.

Um, perhaps we only have a say

about the agreements,

uh, that the

the government signed in 2023

in Barbados

That, uh, was at that time promising a pass to free elections and a situation

that really was envisioned at that time.

Very different that the current situation,

uh, the Venezuelan people experienced.

OK, um, any more questions from the room or online?

Ok, well, that wraps it up.

Uh, thank you all for joining us today, and, uh, have a good day.

HRC Press Conference: FFM on Venezuela - 17 September 2024