Presenting to the press this Saturday the balance of the three days of work with the various actors in society, the official pointed out that his office had again recommended that the member states (regarding the United States) suspend or lift the sanctions ” have an adverse effect on human rights”.
We demand this in view of the unilateral coercive measures that will also be imposed on other countries, he stressed.
Türk commented that in dialogue with people, including UN actors and agencies, he was able to verify the impact of punitive measures on the difficult acquisition of basic products such as medicines, especially among the most vulnerable populations.
According to the Venezuelan government, the United States and its allies have imposed 928 unilateral coercive measures against the Bolivarian Republic in recent years, with multi-million dollar economic losses and criminal social and economic repercussions.
The High Commissioner stated that he had listened to the views of the parties involved in the dialogue table in Mexico and reiterated his Office’s support for the talks to continue.
I challenged them, he noted, to listen to each other and engage in meaningful dialogue “to find a shared vision for the future.”
Türk didn’t deny the pitfalls along the way, saying that “engagement and positive dialogue” can pave a way around obstacles.
In this regard, he indicated that his office is ready and available to build bridges between state institutions and the opposition and to offer “our perspective and experience in the field of human rights” and to ensure that the discourse is depoliticized and not manipulated.
The UN representative expressed the great appreciation of the people with whom he spoke about the work of his office in Caracas, which started its work after Michelle Bachelet’s visit in 2019.
I am encouraged by the government’s decision to extend the team’s presence in Venezuela for another two years so that they can continue their work in promoting the human rights agenda in the country, he stressed.
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