MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

HRW against repeating Venezuelan elections

Goebertus also urged these three “governments to insist on independent verification of the results”

The governments of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia were sent letters by Human Rights Watch (HRW) pointing out that repeating the elections In Venezuela would serve no purpose. The New York-headquartered non-governmental organization known for advocating in favor of political prisoners and other victims of injustice added that the proposal put forward by these three Latin American countries would be a “mockery,” while granting President Nicolás Maduro's regime an amnesty “would violate international law and affect the rights of victims of atrocities.”

HRW's Americas Division Director Juanita Goebertus Estrada mentioned in her letter to Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil); Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO - Mexico), and Gustavo Petro (Colombia) that she was “concerned” about their suggestions and insisted that a “credible” negotiation between Maduro and the opposition was the way out of the ongoing crisis, although it would mean disregarding Venezuelan Supreme Court's validating Maduro's unsubstantiated win as well as the goodwill of the three leaders seeking to broker a solution.

HRW also addressed the “wave of arbitrary arrests” ordered by Maduro's government after demonstrations followed the July 28 process. A total of 23 protesters and bystanders, and one member of the Bolivarian National Guard, were killed in various incidents nationwide, in addition to over 2,400 detentions that included minors. In this scenario, HRW valued “the efforts of the governments of Latin America, Europe and the United States to guarantee respect for the popular will expressed at the polls on July 28, as well as to put an end to the generalized violations of human rights in the country” but nonetheless spoke against repeating the elections, in line with statements made last week by opposition leader María Corina Machado.

“A basic premise of any election is that it must reflect the will expressed by the people and result in the peaceful transfer of power to the winning candidate or candidates in accordance with pre-established formulas. To repeat the elections because the Maduro government is unwilling to disclose and accept the results of the July 28 elections would make a mockery of this basic democratic principle,” HRW argued while agreeing “that a solution to the crisis in Venezuela should include guarantees for all political parties to participate in public affairs.”

Governments have an obligation to prosecute serious human rights violations, Goebertus also underlined. “The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, as well as national and international human rights organizations, have documented serious human rights violations in the country,” she added. “Respecting these obligations under international human rights law will require strategic criminal investigations that prioritize the prosecution of those most responsible for atrocities and focus on the most serious and egregious crimes,” the Colombian HRW leader also mentioned.

The organization also praised the three leaders' decision not to honor the TSJ ruling at least until the minutes of each voting table are released as per the court's ruling. HRW also urged these three “governments to insist on independent verification of the results, which should be carried out by a credible and impartial third party.”