(Today Venezuela) The UN Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Tuesday criticized Venezuela for refusing access to human rights experts despite serious allegations about human rights abuses committed in the Caribbean nation.
“Its denial of access to my staff is particularly shocking in the light of our acute concerns regarding allegations of repression of opposition voices and civil society groups,” Al Hussein said.
He further questioned the erosion of “independence of rule of law institutions,” as well as “dramatic decline” in enjoyment of economic and social rights, “with increasingly widespread hunger and sharply deteriorating healthcare” in Venezuela.
“My Office will continue to follow the situation in the country very closely, and we will state our concerns for the human rights of Venezuela’s people at every opportunity,” he warned.
Al Hussein’s remarks came during the first session of the 33rd Human Rights Council that started on Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland, Efe reported.
