[News] Venezuela sanctions harm human rights of innocent people, UN expert warns

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24131&LangID=E 



  Venezuela sanctions harm human rights of innocent people, UN expert warns

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GENEVA (31 January 2019) – Sanctions which can lead to starvation and 
medical shortages are not the answer to the crisis in Venezuela, says UN 
human rights expert Idriss Jazairy. His comments follow the imposition 
of sanctions on Venezuela’s national oil company by the United States.

“I am especially concerned to hear reports that these sanctions are 
aimed at changing the government of Venezuela,” said Mr. Jazairy, the UN 
Special Rapporteur concerned with the negative impact of sanctions.

“Coercion, whether military or economic, must never be used to seek a 
change in government in a sovereign state. The use of sanctions by 
outside powers to overthrow an elected government is in violation of all 
norms of international law.

“I call upon the international community to engage in constructive 
dialogue with Venezuela to find solutions to the very real challenges 
being faced,” the expert urged.

“Economic sanctions are effectively compounding the grave crisis 
affecting the Venezuelan economy, adding to the damage caused by 
hyperinflation and the fall in oil prices.  This is a time when 
compassion should be expressed for the long-suffering people of 
Venezuela by promoting, not curtailing, access to food and medicine,” 
Mr. Jazairy said.

Precipitating an economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela is not a 
foundation for the peaceful settlement of disputes, Mr. Jazairy noted. 
“I call on States to engage in and facilitate constructive dialogues 
with all parties to find solutions which respect the human rights of 
Venezuelans,” he said.

“I am deeply concerned about reports of serious human rights violations 
happening in Venezuela, including a growing risk of violence, and 
implicit threats of international violence. There is a need for all 
parties and all countries to work for a peaceful solution which does not 
lead to any further violence,” the expert added.

His call echoed comments 
<https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2019-01-24/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-venezuela-scroll-down-for-spanish> 
by the Spokesman for the UN Secretary General, underscoring “the urgent 
need for all relevant actors to engage in an inclusive and credible 
political dialogue to address the long crisis facing the country, with 
full respect for the rule of law and human rights”.

The expert drew attention to the UN Declaration on the Principles of 
International Law <http://www.un-documents.net/a25r2625.htm> concerning 
friendly relations and cooperation among States in accordance with the 
Charter of the United Nations, which urges States to resolve their 
differences through dialogue and peaceful relations, and to avoid the 
use of economic, political or other measures to coerce another State in 
regard to the exercise of its sovereign rights.

“I urge all countries to avoid applying sanctions unless approved by the 
United Nations Security Council, as required by the UN Charter,” the 
Special Rapporteur concluded.

ENDS

/*Mr. Idriss Jazairy* (Algeria) was appointed by the Human Rights 
Council as the first Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the 
unilateral coercive measures 
<http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/UCM/Pages/SRCoerciveMeasures.aspx> on 
the enjoyment of human rights. He took office in May 2015. Mr. Jazairy 
has extensive experience in the fields of international relations and 
human rights with the Algerian Foreign Ministry, the UN human rights 
system and international NGOs. He holds a M.A. (Oxford) in Philosophy, 
Politics and Economics, and an M.P.A. (Harvard). He also graduated from 
the Ecole nationale d’Administration (France). Mr. Jazairy is the author 
of books and of a large number of articles in the international press on 
development, human rights and current affairs. /

/The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special 
Procedures <http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Welcomepage.aspx> 
of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of 
independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name 
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that 
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all 
parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary 
basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. 
They are independent from any government or organization and serve in 
their individual capacity. /

/For more information and *media requests*, please contact: Mr. Stee 
Asbjornsen (+41 22 917 9827 / sasbjornsen at ohchr.org 
<mailto:sasbjornsen at ohchr.org> ) or write to ucm at ohchr.org 
<mailto:ucm at ohchr.org> /

/For *media inquiries *related to other UN independent experts please 
contact: Mr. Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+41 22 917 
9383 / jlaurence at ohchr.org <mailto:laurence at ohchr.org>) /

//
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