Bachelet: "The human rights situation continues to affect millions of people in Venezuela"

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(CNN Spanish) - The high commissioner for the United Nations Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet, presented this Monday in Geneva during a council meeting, an update of her report on the state of human rights in Venezuela. Its update includes the follow-up to the recommendations made by the commissioner to the government of questioned President Nicolás Maduro, in addition to the progress made by the office established by the commission in Caracas.

For Bachelet, since the presentation of his report in July, "the human rights situation continues to affect millions of people in Venezuela and with clear destabilizing impacts in the region."

The high commissioner denounced that the economic situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate rapidly and considers that the South American country is going through “the most acute hyperinflationary episode the region has experienced” and added that “de facto dollarization in various sectors of the economy is exacerbating inequalities Public services have continued to present serious and recurring failures, with special intensity in the state of Zulia. The shortage of fuel outside Caracas has aggravated the situation. ”

MIRA: Bachelet said "there are cases of torture" and "extrajudicial executions" in Venezuela

Another point of concern for Bachelet is access to health, particularly the insufficient access to medicines and treatment for more than 400,000 people suffering from chronic diseases. However, he stressed that according to the Pan American Health Organization, vaccination coverage against polio, measles and diphtheria has been expanded.

Bachelet condemned that his office has not received information on measures to implement the recommendation of its initial report on the dissolution of the Special Action Force of the Bolivarian National Police (FAES) and prevent the possible commission of extrajudicial executions. Bachelet, noted that "the FAES have received support at the highest level of the Government."

“According to information recently received by the Public Ministry, from August 2017 to May 2019, 104 members of security forces were convicted for human rights violations. My office expects detailed information on the type of human rights violation, the institutional affiliation of officials, and the profile of the victims, ”explained Bachelet

The Government of Venezuela has not reacted to the update presented by the high commissioner. However, after the presentation report the president and senior officials questioned the methodology used by the office of the high commissioner and considered that the report was "biased."

Bachelet said that after establishing an office in Caracas, the Government has pledged to establish a mechanism to handle individual cases, and several priority cases have already been referred. The high commissioner said she will continue to provide the technical assistance and support to the institutions and victims that are required, while continuing to monitor and report on the state of human rights in Venezuela.

The high commissioner again expressed concern about the potentially severe impact on human rights of the new set of sanctions imposed by the United States Government. Despite certain exceptions, Bachelet considers the sanctions contribute to aggravate the humanitarian situation and the exodus of Venezuelan people.

Bachelet culminated his report calling again for the Government and the opposition to give priority to the negotiation that he considered as "the only way to overcome the current situation."

CNN is trying to get reactions from the Maduro government and representatives of the opposition to the update offered Monday by Bachelet.