Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2007
Contact: Olivia B. Goumbri, Venezuela Information Office, (301) 613-4767
Reading Between the Lines: The U.S. State Department’s 2006 Report on Human Rights
Highlights Venezuela’s Commitment to Human Rights
Justice & Prosecution
• Of the high level criminal cases highlighted in the State Department’s report that showed some involvement of police officers or military personnel: “Twenty-two individuals subsequently faced charges, two of whom were Caracas Metropolitan Police officers. Approximately half of those charged confessed to involvement and were immediately sentenced to prison. At year’s end the remaining accused were awaiting trial.” Furthermore, “President Chavez acknowledged excessive use of military force in these killings; as a result of an investigation, at least 14 soldiers were arrested. On November 15, 10 soldiers were charged in the killings of the six miners.” In addition, “On August 31, 24 police officers were sentenced for their involvement in the June 2005 killings of students… Sentences ranged from three to 30 years’ imprisonment.”
• “Detainees were promptly informed of the charges against them.”
• “There were no reports that security forces killed prisoners;”
• “The government permitted prison visits by independent human rights observers, and such visits took place during the year.”
Freedom of Press
• “While the law permits the president to suspend telecommunications broadcasts, it was not invoked during the year…”
• “The law permits the government to order national broadcast cadenas (lengthy, commercial-free programming, usually consisting of presidential speeches) to require all broadcast media to preempt scheduled programming and transmit the government’s entire message. Use of cadenas was much more restrained in elections during the year, compared to 2005.”
• “There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet.”
Academic Freedom
• Professional and academic associations “indicated they generally operated without interference…”
Refugees & Human Trafficking
• “In practice the government provided protection against refoulement, the return of a person to a country where they feared prosecution.”
• “The government cooperated with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organization in assisting refugees and asylum seekers.”
• “In August the Ministry of Interior and Justice hosted a roundtable on trafficking in persons; the minister of justice presided, and nearly every cabinet ministry had high level representation…The event culminated with a comprehensive plan to address trafficking in persons in the country.”
• “The government provided trafficking victims with psychological and physical examinations.”
Elections
• “The constitution provides citizens with the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercised this right through periodic elections held on the basis of universal suffrage.”
• “The European Union, the OAS, and the Carter Center sent official electoral observation missions and deemed the elections to be generally free and fair.”
• “On December 3, voters reelected Hugo Chavez as president in elections that observers judged to be free and fair. President Chavez was reelected with approximately 63 percent of the national vote. Chavez received more votes in each state in the country, as well as in the Caracas metropolitan area.”
• “Eighty-one different political parties appeared on the presidential ballot in December.”
The Full 2006 Human Rights Report by the U.S. Department of State may be viewed at: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78909.htm
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public about contemporary Venezuela, and receives its funding from the
government of Venezuela. More information is available from the FARA office
of the Department of Justice in Washington DC.
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Washington, DC 20036
tel: (202) 347-8081
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