Horrific Human Rights Watch report on government abuses in Venezuela

[hack89]

On February 12, 2014, thousands of people across Venezuela participated in marches and public demonstrations to protest the policies of the government of President Nicolás
Maduro. In Caracas and several other cities, violent clashes broke out between government security forces and protesters. Three people were killed, dozens seriously injured, and hundreds arrested. Since then, the protests have continued and the number of casualties and arrests has grown.

In the days and weeks after February 12, Human Rights Watch received reports of serious human rights violations, including abuses committed during government operations aimed at containing protest activity, as well as in the treatment of people detained at or near protests.

To investigate these allegations of abuse, Human Rights Watch carried out a fact-finding
investigation in Venezuela in March. We visited Caracas and three states—Carabobo, Lara,
and Miranda—and conducted scores of interviews with abuse victims, their families, eyewitnesses, medical professionals, journalists, and human rights defenders. We also gathered extensive material evidence, including photographs, video footage, medical reports, judicial rulings, and case files. In addition, we collected and reviewed government reports and official statements regarding protest activity and the response of security forces.

What we found during our in-country investigation and subsequent research is a pattern of
serious abuse. In 45 cases, we found strong evidence of serious human rights violations
committed by Venezuelan security forces, which included violations of the right to life; the
prohibition on torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; the rights to bodily
integrity, security and liberty; and due process rights. These violations were compounded
by members of the Attorney General’s Office and the judiciary who knew of, participated in,
or otherwise tolerated abuses against protesters and detainees, including serious
violations of their due process rights.

http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/venezuela0514_reportcover_web.pdf

[msanthrope]

1. Ah....this explains the "HRW is the CIA" meme pushed here over last week by some of St. Hugo's

Most Devoted.

[Billy Budd]

2. Maybe its because ...we own HRW

[Letter from] Nobel Peace Laureates to Human Rights Watch: Close Your Revolving Door to U.S. Government

http://www.alternet.org/world/nobel-peace-laureates-human-rights-watch-close-your-revolving-door-us-government

For example, HRW's Washington advocacy director, Tom Malinowski, previously served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton and as a speechwriter to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. In 2013, he left HRW after being nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights & Labor under John Kerry.
....
Currently, HRW Americas' advisory committee [6] includes Myles Frechette, a former [7] U.S. ambassador [8] to Colombia, and Michael Shifter, one-time Latin America director [9]for the U.S. government-financed National Endowment for Democracy. Miguel Díaz, a Central Intelligence Agency analyst in the 1990s, sat on HRW Americas' advisory committee from 2003 [10]-11 [11]. Now at the State Department [12], Díaz serves [13] as "an interlocutor between the intelligence community and non-government experts."
.................
In his capacity as an HRW advocacy director, Malinowski contended in 2009 that "under limited circumstances" there was "a legitimate place" for CIA renditions—the illegal practice of kidnapping and transferring terrorism suspects around the planet. Malinowski was quoted paraphrasing the U.S. government's argument that designing an alternative to sending suspects to "foreign dungeons to be tortured" was "going to take some time."

HRW has not extended similar consideration to Venezuela. In a 2012 letter to President Chávez, HRW criticized the country's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council, alleging that Venezuela had fallen "far short of acceptable standards" and questioning its "ability to serve as a credible voice on human rights." At no point has U.S. membership in the same council merited censure from HRW, despite Washington's secret, global assassination program, its preservation of renditions, and its illegal detention of individuals at Guantánamo Bay.

[msanthrope]

3. Well, yes...having an ex-CIA analyst means they must be CIA-controlled. Lemme

blow your mind, though....


Snowden is ex CIA.

[Billy Budd]

4. Snowden is on the run from the Empire

Not running Human's Right Watch...so the brutalization of Occupy Wall Street protesters what did HRW say...did they mention Guantanamo ..... no charges torture etc any of that ...did you by the way see who signed the letter...its was Nobel Laurates and other notables not Billy Budd ...


Blow your mind though

In his capacity as an HRW advocacy director, Malinowski contended in 2009 that "under limited circumstances" there was "a legitimate place" for CIA renditions—the illegal practice of kidnapping and transferring terrorism suspects around the planet.


that is some Humans Right Watch LOL

some who signed the letter to HRW

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Joel Andreas, Professor of Sociology, Johns Hopkins University

Antony Anghie, Professor of Law, S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah

John M. Archer, Professor of English, New York University

Asma Barlas, Professor of Politics, Director of the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, Ithaca College

Rosalyn Baxandall, Professor Emeritus of American Studies, State University of New York-Old Westbury

Marc Becker, Professor of Latin American History, Truman State University

Jason A. Beckett, Professor of Law, American University in Cairo

Angélica Bernal, Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

[msanthrope]

5. Yes...Snowden is Paul Revere. Human Rights Watch must be evil, because

there's a an ex-CIA analyst that works there, and they have dared to critique Maduro.

I don't give a shit who signed that letter. Obviously, Human Right's Watch Report on American corporate exploitation of children hit a little too close to home for some....

http://m.hrw.org/reports/2014/05/13/tobacco-s-hidden-children

[Billy Budd]

6. yes ..the CIA is holy and without any sins HRW must be Godly

what about conditions in Guantanamo....what about HRW leader expressing approval for rendering prisoners what about if instead of there being tons of folks with ties to the CIA and official Washington it was the Russian intelligence service that had their people in place....

It is the US who funds the Venezuela unrest...like in Honduras ...like they tried in Habana ...like in Kiev

[msanthrope]

7. Right..because Venezuela isn't having unrest because of poor economic policy....

it must be because of the CIA.

[Billy Budd]

8. That is not the argument I make..its a "straw man"

Venezuela like Cuba like Ukraine like the United States Government all have problems conflicts and unfair situations to address with its citizens . The difference is that the US uses its wealth and power to foment violence and prevent the other Governments from solving issues with their citizens...sure the CIA did not create discontent in Ukraine they used it to achieve regime change for its own reason. That is something that is empirical and data based and it is a template used over and over by our Government. This is the template:

"A corrupt [ or in Cuba's case a besieged Government] but legitimately elected government (a phrase that could describe almost every government in the West, and certainly the ones in Washington, London and Paris) was overthrown in an action that was to a large extent funded and manipulated by Washington"

I am not saying the CIA created the discontent ...they use it exploit it and not in any way for the good of Venezuelans... Human Right Watch I am afraid has become a tool to demonize and delegitimize targeted Government. I do not trust an entity's report when it has ties to the CIA and also Official Washington...I no longer trust that particular organization..