US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, today expressed concern about the “violent measures of force” of the government presided by Nicolás Maduro to demonstrators in Venezuela and demanded that the country’s constitution be respected.
“President Maduro’s indifference to the fundamental rights of his own people has intensified the political and economic crisis in the country,” Haley said in a statement.
“The Maduro regime must respect the constitution of Venezuela and the voice of its people,” he said.
Venezuela has been facing a wave of protests for several weeks against and in favor of the government, with violence that has left at least 37 people dead and more than 700 wounded.
“We are particularly concerned that the government is being unable to provide the food and medicine needs of the people of Venezuela,” the diplomat added.
He also noted that the UN “closely follows” reports on the conditions of Venezuelan political prisoners, and specifically those of opposition leader Leopoldo López, whom he criticized remains “withheld by charges made by the Government since 2014.”
“We urge the Venezuelan government to immediately release all those unjustly detained,” Haley said.
According to the ambassador, the international body is also “tormented” by reports on the health of prisoners like the American Joshua Holt, arrested in an anticriminal raid with his Venezuelan woman last summer.
“We again ask the Venezuelan Government to release Mr. Holt on humanitarian grounds,” he wrote.
