UN Admits Perverse Effects of US Sanctions Against Venezuela

On Monday, during the opening of the 48th session of the Human Rights Council, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) admitted that the U.S. sanctions against Venezuela have worsened the population's access to basic services.

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"The pre-existing humanitarian and economic situation was aggravated both by the covid-19 pandemic and by sector sanctions... I reiterate my call for these sanctions to be lifted," OHCHR head Michelle Bachelet said with reference to measures that prohibit transactions with Venezuelan companies.

In his reactions to the OHCHR report, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Felix Plasencia noted that the U.S. sanctions have caused a 99 percent decrease in his country's income and devastating effects on the population since 2014.

For this reason, Venezuela also highlighted that the sanctions against it represent a crime against humanity, which President Nicolas Maduro's administration have denounced before the International Criminal Court.

Plasencia regretted that the OHCHR report reproduces the methodological flaws observed in other previous documents from this multilateral institution, for it "incorporates unsubstantiated assertions, which have not been duly verified with the State authorities, as required by its own work methodology."

"In that sense, Venezuela rejects the report's false assertions on alleged arbitrary detentions or persecutions for the exercise or defense of human rights, insofar as they are part of the political script of those who instrumentalize this issue to attack Venezuela," Plasencia pointed out.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Venezuela ratified its willingness to continue cooperating with the OHCHR on the basis of respect for the truth and the principles of objectivity, non-selectivity, impartiality, non-interference in internal affairs, and constructive dialogue.

To this end, President Nicolas Maduro administration renewed the Letter of Understanding between Venezuela and the OHCHR, which increases the presence of this multilateral officials in the country.