UN expert reports no humanitarian crisis in Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

JANUARY 17, 2018 BY EMILY GREEN

By: Emily Green
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela — An independent expert for the UN’s top human rights body was allowed a rare visit to Venezuela. After spending a week in the country and assessing the situation, he reported that there is no humanitarian crisis.

. . .

While the country is being accused of undermining democracy, it also struggles with inflation and shortages of food and medicine. Its economy has taken severe hits since the decline in global oil prices in 2014. Contrary to most media reporting, De Zayas assured that there is no humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. He said he agrees with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the Economic Commission for Latin America who deny the humanitarian crisis.

However, he conceded that there are some shortages and delays in distribution. He has called on the international community to be aware of the monopolies, smuggling, and corruption that has emerged under the US-led economic and financial war. The conflict has resulted in pressures and sanctions. Last year, over 750 opposition-controlled offshore companies were accused of purposefully redirecting Venezuelan imports of raw food materials from the government to the private sector. On top of that, international sanctions have blocked millions of tons of food and other supplies from reaching the Venezuelan people.

De Zayas also remarked that the opposition and private media label the situation in Venezuela as a humanitarian crisis in an effort to promote international intervention. Opposition leaders made “the opening of a humanitarian channel” one of its chief demands in negotiations with the national government. He called the mainstream media coverage of the country “theatrical, hyperbole, and an exaggeration,” and said it does not help to resolve any problems. However, he said international solidarity is necessary to help them overcome the current crisis.

More:
http://impunitywatch.com/un-expert-reports-no-humanitarian-crisis-in-venezuela/

[GatoGordo]

1. De Zayas has a very interesting take on history. A darling of the Holocaust deniers?

The Old Testament is characterized by “cruelty” and “profound unreligiousity,” its patriarchs “equipped with divine legitimacy and justification to take our promised Lebensraum by force.”

Churchill and Roosevelt connived at “a form of genocide” against the Germans.

The World War II Allies who fought Nazi Germany should have been prosecuted for “barbarous” and “gruesome” crimes; the Nuremberg Court that judged Nazi war criminals had “hardly any legitimacy.”

“Nuremberg was an exercise in hypocrisy. A continuation of hate and war… a corruption of legal norms and procedures, a pollution of philosophy, a truly Pharisee tribunal.”

“Moses had such a rough time bringing the Jewish people across the Red Sea because half of them were busy picking up pretty shells.”

Ooooh! "Lebensraum". Who liked to use THAT word?

Mr De Zayas is hardly a "neutral party" and clearly has an agenda. The fact that he is only quoted in places like Sputnik, TeleSur and far left rags speaks volumes.

[EX500rider]

2. "On top of that, international sanctions have blocked millions of tons of food..." BS

There are no sanctions against food imports to Venz.
I guess I these people are heading to Colombia for a vacation?
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/venezuela-colombia-bridge-photo_us_578be683e4b0867123e1ab77
?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale

[Judi Lynn]

3. AP report discusses the same UN expert mentioned in the original post:

In rare visit, UN expert pleads with Venezuela
Associated Press DECEMBER 12, 2017 — 3:05PM

GENEVA — An independent expert for the U.N.'s top human rights body said Tuesday that he pleaded with Venezuela's government to release more than 20 people in custody and is optimistic other U.N. experts will be let in.

. . .

De Zayas acknowledged facing criticism from some advocacy groups, including UN Watch, which alleged that he was carrying out a "fake" investigation during his trip to Venezuela.

His visit came during a Nov. 26-Dec. 9 trip to Latin America.

De Zayas said he has "always been very skeptical about naming and shaming" governments. He said allegations of a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela were "hyperbole" and "an exaggeration."

http://www.startribune.com/in-rare-visit-un-expert-pleads-with-venezuela/463721993/

~ ~ ~

The UN expert's Wikipedia:

Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

Alfred-Maurice de Zayas (born May 31, 1947, Havana, Cuba) is an American lawyer, writer, historian, a leading expert in the field of human rights and international law and retired high-ranking United Nations official. Since 2012, he has been the UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order (appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council).[1][2]

During its 27th session in September 2014 the Human Rights Council extended his mandate through 2018 pursuant to resolution A/HRC/RES/27/9.[3] De Zayas is currently a professor of international law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations,[4] and formerly worked with the United Nations from 1981 to 2003 as a senior lawyer with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,[5][6] Secretary of the Human Rights Committee,[7] and the Chief of Petitions. Zayas practised law in New York and Florida 1970-74 specializing on corporate law [8]

De Zayas' work focuses inter alia on the judicial protection of peoples and minorities.[9] He holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and a doctorate in modern history from the University of Göttingen in Germany. He has written and lectured extensively on human rights, including the jurisprudence of the United Nations Human Rights Committee,[10][11] the Armenian Genocide,[12][13][14][15][16] the Holocaust[17][18][19][20] the US-run detention centers at Guantanamo Bay,[21][22][23][24][24][25] ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia,[26] the expulsion of Eastern European Germans after the Second World War,[27][28] the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey in 1974,[29][30][31] the rights of minorities,[32] the right to freedom of opinion and expression,[33] and the rights of indigenous peoples.[34] and unfair trade relations [35]

. . .

De Zayas was born in Havana, Cuba and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He earned his juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School, then a doctorate of philosophy in modern history from the Georg-August University of Göttingen.[5

More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred-Maurice_de_Zayas

[GatoGordo]

4. And who thinks Mr. De Zayas has something meaningful to add to the discussion?

"...However, "in the case of Venezuela both CNN and the BBC have ignored me, it is as if my visit to Venezuela had not taken place, as if I had not visited it", which qualifies as public manipulation, adding that only teleSUR and Sputnik has interviewed him...." --
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/There-Is-No-Humanitarian-Crisis-in-Venezuela-Says-UN-Expert-20180220-0041.html

TeleSur and Sputnik? The ONLY "news organizations" who think his opinion has the least bit of professional integrity? Nobody else will give this self-important fraud the time of day?

Woo HOO! You can't make this up folks... the guy is a darling of the holocaust deniers and a Castro mouthpiece.

[Judi Lynn]

5. He is someone who has been chosen by the United Nations to do his work for them.

Anyone who takes the time to look closely at the information available won't be fooled.

A "Castro mouthpiece?" Why did his parents move to the US when he was small, anyway, just like the Cuban "exiles" who infested Miami and New Jersey?

I think not, and you know better.

[GatoGordo]

6. You are right

Anyone who takes the time to look at what this vicious racist and anti-Semite has said, and what he believes won't be fooled.

There is a reason why mainstream, legitimate news organizations don't give this fraud the time of day.