Ludmila Vinogradoff
09/25/2020 - 13:11
Clarín.com
World
Melany Cabezas, a 13-year-old girl, and Wilder Gabriel Mujica, 18, both students murdered in Petare, the most populous neighborhood in Caracas and Latin America, this week, are part of the
2,000 extrajudicial executions
so far this year In Venezuela, Michelle Bachelet denounces the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
from the ONU.
The girl Cabezas was hit with
a stray bullet
in her face while playing with her doll on the stairs of her home and the young Mujica was shot for resisting the theft of her shoes, wallet and cell phone.
Both young people lived in José Félix Rivas, the central area of Petare.
The former president of Chile presented her update report on Friday, where “she is concerned about the
high numbers of deaths
of young people in marginalized neighborhoods as a result of security operations.
Based on an open source analysis, my Office recorded
711 deaths from June to August
, reaching more than 2,000 deaths since January 2020. "
Michelle Bachelet the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
of the UN, severe in a new report on Venezuela.
Photo: AFP
He described as positive the arrest of five members of the FAES, allegedly responsible for the death of two people in Zulia on August 21.
"The public statements of the Attorney General on this case show a pattern similar to that documented by my Office, in which, after executing the victims
already neutralized
, the security forces
steal them
and
manipulate the evidence
to present the facts as a confrontation" he quoted in his report.
Bachelet highlighted that the Venezuelan Public Ministry reported that it had recently charged 70 FAES officials in different states of the country.
Killing instead of judging
Members of the Faes during military exercises in Miranda.
Photo: AFP
His concern coincides with the report presented by the UN Independent International Mission, chaired by Marta Valiñas, who in a telematic conference with the members of the Caracas Press Club, including
Clarín
, said that “FAES officials confirmed codes and
received orders for superiors
to kill instead of stop and judge ”.
The updated Bachelet report was presented at the 45th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva where the serious human rights violations that have been carried out in Venezuela during the coronavirus pandemic are denounced.
His office in Caracas continued to document cases of repression of
peaceful protests
in the context of the state of alarm in force since March, including arrests of protesters, who are protesting
low wages and pensions
, poor public services and gasoline shortages.
He stressed that there are still restrictions on freedom of expression.
"This includes the application of anti-hate legislation, attacks against human rights defenders and attacks and arrests of journalists," he said.
A group of Venezuelan migrants awaits their transfer to the border in Cúcuta.Photo: EFE
Regarding the return of
Venezuelan migrants
to the country, he recognized the efforts of the authorities, however, he expressed concern about the stigmatizing discourse of some authorities that hold them responsible for introducing COVID-19 in Venezuela.
Minimum wage, less than US $ 1
Referring to the crisis generated by COVID-19, he asserted that the pandemic has joined
other pre-existing emergencies
, such as food.
"Caritas reported that the infant acute malnutrition rate reached 15 percent in July 2020. It also reported that a greater number of families resort to survival strategies, even
stopping eating
so that another family member can do so," he said.
The minimum wage fell this Friday to less than 1 dollar (0.90) that is only enough to buy
a dozen eggs
, the parallel dollar is quoted at 430,000 bolivars, and inflation at more than 3,000%.
The
96% of Venezuelans
survive the poverty line.
Deaths among healthcare personnel
A health worker performs rapid tests for coronavirus Los Teques, Venezuela.
Photo: Xinhua
The High Commissioner indicated that despite the existence of biosecurity protocols related to COVID-19 in detention centers, health conditions, access to water, food and medicines must be substantially improved, and regular contacts with the family members and lawyers, either physically or by telephone, as well as exploring alternative measures to deprivation of liberty.
Likewise, Bachelet reported that 33% of deaths from COVID-19 have been of health personnel due to the
lack
of biosafety
equipment
and water in hospitals.
Free and democratic elections
Bachelet also criticized the
lack of freedom
in the selection of the representatives of seven political parties and the non-consensual appointment of the members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the modification of indigenous representation, the changes in the electoral system and the increase of seats in the National Assembly, violating the political rights enshrined in the Venezuelan constitution.
He stressed that “it is crucial that in the coming months the civic and democratic space is protected and the release of all those who are still arbitrarily deprived of liberty for exercising their rights continue.
"I make a call to continue working on the construction of agreements to reach conditions for the development of credible, free, inclusive and equitable electoral processes," he concluded.
Caracas, special
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