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LETTER FROM PROVEA TO AMBASSADOR BROWNFIELD

(Unofficial Translation)

Caracas, 25 May 2005

His Excellency Sir William Brownfield
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United States of America

Your Excellency Ambassador Brownfield:

Lately, we have observed with concern the unfolding of the Bush Administration’s policy toward the Government of Venezuela, insofar as it includes signs of threatening the human right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination. In the lines that follow below, we detail some reflections on this matter that we hope to have the opportunity to personally discuss with you in greater detail in a future meeting.

The human right of national self-determination is a fundamental element in the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) and of the Charter of the United Nations (UN), subscribed to by our governments in representation of our citizenry. The Charter of the OAS codifies it as well in various articles. Among them, Articles 3,e; 19 & 20:

"Every State has the right to choose, without external interference, its political, economic, and social system and to organize itself in the way best suited to it, and has the duty to abstain from intervening in the affairs of another State. Subject to the foregoing, the American States shall cooperate fully among themselves, independently of the nature of their political, economic, and social systems."

"No State or group of States has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other State. The foregoing principle prohibits not only armed force but also any other form of interference or attempted threat against the personality of the State or against its political, economic, and cultural elements."

"No State may use or encourage the use of coercive measures of an economic or political character in order to force the sovereign will of another State and obtain from it advantages of any kind."

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which is a fundamental orientation tool for the work that Provea carries out for the benefit of the entire Venezuelan populartion, and which is signed and ratified by Venezuela, and signed but not ratified by the United States, stipulates, in its Article 1 (which is also found in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), the following:

"1. All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

2. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.

3. The States Parties to the present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations."

The UN Commission on Human Rights, the highest competent body for the interpretation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is subscribed to and ratified by Venezuela and the United States, indicates, in its General Observation No. 12 on the right to free self-determination (Article 1, common to both pacts), the following:

"The right of self-determination is of particular importance because its realization is an essential condition for the effective guarantee and observance of individual human rights and for the promotion and strengthening of those rights (...)

All States parties to the Covenant should take positive action to facilitate realization of and respect for the right of peoples to self-determination. Such positive action must be consistent with the States' obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and under international law: in particular, States must refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other States and thereby adversely affecting the exercise of the right to self-determination.

The Committee considers that history has proved that the realization of and respect for the right of self-determination of peoples contributes to the establishment of friendly relations and cooperation between States and to strengthening international peace and understanding."





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