HRC53 - Interactive Dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner on human rights in Venezuela - EU Statement

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HRC53 - Interactive Dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner on human rights in Venezuela - EU Statement

05.07.2023 Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

53^rd session

Interactive Dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner on human rights in Venezuela

EU Intervention

5 July 2023

Thank you Mr. President,

Mr. High Commissioner, the European Union thanks you for your report. We welcome the tangible impact of the reinforcement of your Office in Venezuela and the improved cooperation with the authorities. We continue to support the Office's and the Fact-Finding Mission's important work, and ask for their unfettered access to all regions and detention centres. We also welcome the recent announcement of the opening of an ICC office in Caracas.

The EU remains deeply worried by human rights violations and abuses in Venezuela, as well as perpetrators' impunity and lack of accountability. We are concerned about repressionagainst members of the opposition, dissidents, trade unionists, human rights defenders, the independent media and civil society, and by the draft law on NGOs. We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of arbitrarily detained prisoners.

We call for constructive and genuine engagement of the parties to the Venezuelan-led dialogue with a view to ensuring free and fair elections in 2024 - counting on the presence of international observers and in line with the recommendations from the 2021 EU Electoral Observation Mission - and finding a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis.

Mr High Commissioner, could you please elaborate on the state of the civic and political space ahead of next year's elections?

Thank you.