Tag Archives: US State Department

Apr
12
2011
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U.S. State Department: Human rights abuses worsened in 2010 in Venezuela

The U.S. State Department’s 2010 Human Rights Report continues to generate public debate around the world. Surprisingly, Venezuela’s government – harshly criticized in the annual report – has remained silent…at least for now. Venezuela and Nicaragua were cited as the two countries were human rights abuses worsened in 2010 in Latin America.

The human rights abuses in Venezuela cited in the report run the gamut:

–Unlawful killings, including summary executions of criminal suspects
–Widespread criminal kidnappings for ransom
–Prison violence and harsh prison conditions
–Inadequate juvenile detention centers
–Arbitrary arrests and detentions
–Corruption and impunity in police forces
–Corruption, inefficiency, and politicization in a judicial system characterized by trial delays and violations of due process
–Political prisoners and selective prosecution for political purposes
–Infringement of citizens’ privacy rights
–Restrictions on freedom of expression
–Government threats to sanction or close television stations and newspapers
–Corruption at all levels of government
–Threats against domestic NGOs
–Violence against women
–Trafficking in persons
–Restrictions on workers’ right of association

    “We’ve seen in Venezuela, for example, the government using the courts to intimidate and persecute civil society activists. The Venezuelan government imposed new restrictions on the independent media, the internet, political parties, and NGOs,” said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commenting specifically on Venezuela.

    This is the third year in a row that Venezuela is cited among the worst offenders in the Americas. In contrast, Colombia was praised for making “significant positive developments” on human rights.

     
    Oct
    22
    2010
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    US to keep close eye on Venezuela-Iran energy deals

    This article was originally posted by the AFP

    The United States will be vigilant of the energy cooperation deals made between Iran and Venezuela to make sure they do not violate sanctions against Tehran, the US State Department said Thursday.

    “Venezuela like all countries has clear responsibilities,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.

    “We will watch to see if any of these deals amount to anything and if they do, whether they constitute a violation of the (UN) Security Council resolutions and sanctions against Iran.”

    Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday signed 11 deals with Tehran focused on energy cooperation between the two major oil producers and US foes. Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad both denounced American “imperialism” and called for a “new world order” during the visit, part of the South American leader’s international tour aimed at strengthening Venezuela’s economic ties with eastern Europe and the Middle East.

    “It is hard for me to see how President Chavez’s current travel can be seen as constructive,” Crowley said.

    “Venezuela has a right to pursue civilian nuclear energy,” Crowley added, though “it also has a responsibility to make sure that any nuclear program does not represent a proliferation risk.”

    Earlier this week US President Barack Obama backed Venezuela’s efforts to develop nuclear power for civilian energy purposes after Caracas and Moscow signed a landmark deal.

    Chavez clinched a deal in Moscow on Friday that will see Russia build and operate the first nuclear power plant in his country.

     
    Aug
    5
    2010
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    US: Venezuela fails to cooperate with counter-terrorism efforts

    This article was originally posted by El Universal

    Venezuela is still not a reliable partner for the United States in counterterrorism efforts, an area in which Caracas reduced its cooperation with Washington to an “absolute minimum” during the last year, said the US State Department in its new “Country Report on Terrorism,” released on Thursday.

    “Venezuela’s cooperation with the United States on terrorism has been reduced to an absolute minimum,” stressed the annual report. The document noted that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez “persisted in his public criticism” of US counterterrorism efforts, and “continued to strengthen” relations with countries listed by Washington as sponsors of terrorism, specifically with Iran, DPA reported.The report -released just months after the US State Department ranked Venezuela as “not cooperating fully” in anti-terror efforts- clarified that it remains unclear “how much” help Chávez’s government is providing to Colombian rebel groups such as the FARC or the ELN.

     

    In this sense, the document mirrored Colombia’s repeated “complaints” that Chávez’s government is “harboring and helping senior leaders of the FARC in Venezuelan territory.” The latest such complaints was aired a few weeks ago and resulted in a new severance of diplomatic relations between both South American countries.

    Among others, the report noted that last December 4 Chávez promoted to high military ranks two men identified as drug dealers by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). They are Hugo Carvajal Barrios and Henry de Jesús Rangel Silva, whom the Venezuelan president promoted to high-ranking generals even though in 2008 they were accused by the OFAC of supporting drug traffic activities of the FARC leaders in the territory of Venezuela.

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