21.06.19: Permanent Office

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet gave her long-awaited assessment of the situation in the country during a press conference this afternoon, marking the conclusion of her three-day visit to Venezuela.

Far from vindicating the government as Maduro and other regime officials had hoped, Bachelet’s comments reflected the dire state of human rights in Venezuela.

During her comments, Bachelet called on the Maduro regime to release all political prisoners, whom she said were in jail for merely “exercising their civil and political rights in a peaceful way”.

According to El Nacional, Bachelet met today with victims of the Maduro regime’s human rights abuses. During her address, Bachelet mentioned the story of a man whose brother was tortured and eventually murdered by officers with the National Bolivarian Police’s FAES unit. On the fate of the victims of human rights abuses in Venezuela, Bachelet said:

I’ve committed myself to continue to advocate for justice on their behalf, no matter who the perpetrators are (…) It is important that there be justice for them, no matter their colour,

Bachelet also said that regime officials had promised her office unhindered access to the country’s prisons, and that she would take advantage of that opportunity to meet “confidentially” with political prisoners. On her expectations that the Maduro government would keep its promise, Bachelet said:

I think that they’ll give us access because they promised it to us. If they don’t do it, we’ll let that me known.

Calling the visit to Venezuela “short but crucial”, Bachelet also said that there would be a permanent office set up in the country. On the importance of that office, Bachelet said:

It’s very important to continue to monitor. We asked the government that it make a number of compromises.

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