Venezuela must be expelled from UN rights council, watchdog urges in special debate

In a UNHRC debate on Venezuela’s human rights record, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer took the floor to call for the Maduro regime to be expelled from the 47-nation body. March 18, 2022. In response, the council president, Ambassador Federico Villegas of Argentina, warned Neuer to watch his language.

Mr. President,

Today we come with one question.

Given that this Council’s Fact Finding Mission has found that the Venezuelan Government, state agents, and groups working with them, have systematically committed arbitrary killings, torture, and sexual violence, aimed at suppressing political opposition and generally terrorizing the population;

Given that these crimes were found to be highly coordinated pursuant to state policies, and part of a widespread and systematic course of conduct, thus amounting to “crimes against humanity”;

Given that the investigators found that President Maduro and the Ministers of the Interior and of Defence were aware of the crimes, gave orders, coordinated activities, and supplied resources in furtherance of the plans and policies;

Given all of the above, we ask this Council: By what logic, and by what morality, can a convicted murderer, torturer and rapist — convicted by your own investigators — remain a member of this Human Rights Council?

Citizens worldwide have joined together to submit a petition to the United Nations, found at www.unwatch.org/ExpelMaduro.

Therefore, under Article 8 of the founding Charter of this Council, Resolution 60/251, and in the name of 189,000 people who have signed this petition, we hereby request that the United Nations remove the Maduro government from this Human Rights Council.

Thank you, Mr. President.

UN Watch