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UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Venezuela Reforms

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle
   Bachelet is calling on Venezuela to release all political prisoners and
   end the repression of political and civil rights.

   In November, Penal Forum, a Venezuelan network of criminal defense
   lawyers reported there were 400 government opponents in Venezuela
   prisons. Bachelet presented an update of conditions in Venezuela before
   the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
   While the report presents a generally a bleak picture of human rights
   in Venezuela, Bachelet said there are a few bright spots. She welcomed
   the recent pardon by President Nicolas Maduro's government of 110
   political opponents who had been detained for months and the release of
   40 others.
   However, she said many dissidents and human rights defenders still are
   arbitrarily deprived of their liberty for exercising their civic and
   democratic rights. She said they too should be released.
   "There are still cases of repression of peaceful protesters in the
   state of emergency that has been in place since March, including the
   detention of people protesting because of low wages and the lack of
   public services and the lack of fuel.'¦ There are also restrictions on
   freedom of expression. This includes the application of the anti-hatred
   legislation, and also legislation against human rights activists,"
   Bachelet said.

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