Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has assured Monday that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, took a “false step” with her report on Venezuela, which has indicated that it is “full of lies.”
“Bachelet took a false step when reading a report that was drawn up and dictated to him by the State Department,” the president said, referring to the US Department of State.
“It is a report full of lies, manipulations, inaccurate data, false data, it is a repetition of the reports of the former high commissioner,” he added.
Maduro has stressed that he regrets that Bachelet did not want to “see or hear the truth about Venezuela” and has said he will send a letter, which will arrive in Geneva within 48 hours, “telling him several truths.” “I hope this false step will serve to draw lessons to Mrs. Bachelet and can straighten the way,” he added.
The report – elaborated from 558 interviews with victims and witnesses of the “serious violations” of Human Rights in Venezuela as a result of the recent visit of Bachelet and “other sources” – accuses the Government of reducing the democratic space and breach its obligation to guarantee food and medical attention, recommending concrete measures to reverse this “complex” situation “immediately.”
Maduro has also announced that he has received a “quite auspicious” report from the Venezuelan government delegation about talks with the opposition in Barbados.
“I have reports of the head of the Venezuelan delegation in the peace talks with the Venezuelan opposition, a quite auspicious report of the day that was today,” he said.
The president has stressed that he is “very optimistic” and that “step by step, with strategic patience we open the path of peace, of non-violence, of constructive dialogue for non-violence”.
The meeting in Barbados was scheduled to take place last week, but the self-proclaimed president in charge of Venzuela, Juan Guaidó, refused to send an opposition delegation after the death on June 29 of Lieutenant Commander Rafal Acosta for the alleged torture suffered. in the custody of Military Counterintelligence.
In an unexpected twist, Guaidó’s office reported on Sunday that the Barbados appointment with the “usurping regime” would be this week. The objective, he has indicated, is “to establish an exit negotiation for the dictatorship”. “We do not have an unlimited time, every day the situation gets worse (…) The solution must be now,” he said.
“The parties will meet this week in Barbados to advance in the search for a constitutional and agreed-upon solution for the country,” confirmed the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In parallel, the Venezuelan Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, met Monday with the special representative of the EU for Venezuela, Enrique Iglesias, “who visits the country as part of the dialogue process for the consolidation of peace and national understanding” , as reported by the Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza, on Twitter.
Guaidó’s team advanced on Sunday that would also receive Iglesias as part of the “international offensive” against Maduro and his followers.
POLITICAL CRISIS
The contacts between the Government and the opposition seek to resume a dialogue that has been attempted up to three times in the six years that have passed since the death of Hugo Chávez to reach a solution agreed to the political crisis that Venezuela suffers.
The crisis worsened on January 10, when Maduro decided to start a second term of six years that neither the opposition nor a large part of the international community recognize because they believe that the presidential elections of May 20 were a fraud.
In response, Guaidó proclaimed himself interim president on January 23 with the aim of ceasing “usurpation”, creating a transitional government and holding “free elections.” It has been recognized by the United States, numerous Latin American countries, as well as several Europeans, including Spain.
Meanwhile, more than four million Venezuelans have left the country in recent years because of the humanitarian crisis suffered by the Caribbean nation. The UN warns that, if the trend continues, by the end of 2019 could add more than five million. (Europa Press)
