International

Venezuela submits report to UN Human Rights Committee

Photo: @CancilleriaVE

October 11 |

Venezuela presented its fifth periodic report at the 139th session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, in which it highlighted progress, achievements and challenges in this area for the country.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, added that since 2021, the National Assembly has sanctioned more than 67 laws “key for the promotion and direction of civil and political rights of the Venezuelan population”.

The Bolivarian Government projects a sustainable economic development “with an increase in the levels of national productivity of the public and private sector” for the remainder of 2023 and by 2024.

Gil presented the country’s Fifth Periodic Report on the protection and guarantee of rights enshrined in international legislation and the Bolivarian Constitution, before the 139th session of the UN Human Rights Committee.

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The head of the Venezuelan diplomacy distinguished that the figure of national dialogue “has been a sustained policy of the Executive, promoting the solution of differences within the framework of the rule of law, through more than 500 public calls for dialogue among Venezuelans”, he considered.

He indicated that measures have been taken in Venezuela to increase awareness of the Pact and its applicability in national law, such as the establishment of the first National Human Rights Plan 2016 – 2019, whose projects, actions and resources necessary for its implementation were incorporated in the institutional operational plans of the organs of the State Powers.

As part of political rights, the Minister pointed out that during the period 2012 – 2020, 10 national electoral processes were held, including three presidential elections.

In closing his participation, Minister Gil stressed that in Venezuela they attach vital importance that the issue of human rights “be treated objectively and impartially, without selectivity, double standards or politicization, in a spirit of genuine dialogue and cooperation, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations”.

On the other hand, the Foreign Minister denounced before the committee that his country is the victim of a multiform aggression driven by the US, with the imposition of coercive measures.

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“We have been the object of a multiform aggression promoted by the Government of the United States of America that has negatively affected the enjoyment of human rights of the Venezuelan population,” said Gil during the presentation.

Gil reiterated that the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and other agencies of different countries adopted more than 930 restrictive or punitive unilateral coercive measures related to Venezuela, which caused the reduction of the State’s capacities to obtain financial resources, as well as goods and services necessary to satisfy the main needs of the citizens of that Caribbean nation.

“This onslaught against Venezuela has included the adoption of a set of unilateral coercive measures whose impact has been documented and condemned by the Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and various special procedures of the Human Rights Council,” he commented.

The Venezuelan delegation present in Geneva, together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, includes Attorney General Tarek William Saab; the second vice-president of the Supreme Court of Justice and president of the Civil Cassation Chamber, Magistrate Henry Timaure.

Also the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs, Rubén Darío Molina; the Deputy Minister of Domestic Policy and Legal Security of the Ministry of People’s Power for Domestic Affairs, Justice and Peace, Alana Zuloaga and the Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Hector Constant, among other officials.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.