The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) reported this Friday that representatives of eight opposition parties met with a delegation from Human Rights Watch (HRW), to whom they handed updated list of political prisoners who remain detained in Venezuela and presented complaints of persecution against leaders and members of civil society.
The opposition coalition He described the meeting as a “productive working meeting” in which he was able to report “directly on the human rights situation” in the country, with special emphasis on people deprived of liberty for political reasons.
At the meeting released prisoners also participatedwho shared with the representatives of the international organization “stories about persecution and intimidation to which both the opposition leadership and Venezuelan civil society have been subjected,” the PUD reported.
The meeting took place at a time when Penal Forum counts 344 political prisonerss in Venezuela, according to its most recent balance sheet. Of that total, 32 are foreigners or have dual nationality.
Human Rights Watch returns to Venezuela after 18 years of absence
The HRW delegation was led by Federico Borello, deputy executive director and program director, and Juanita Goebertus, head of the Americas Division. Other representatives of the organization and leaders of the political forces that make up the PUD also participated.
The visit represents HRW’s official return to Venezuela after 18 years. The organization had not made a visit to the country since 2008, when the then director for the Americas, José Miguel Vivanco, was expelled by President Hugo Chávez.
HRW talks with government and opposition
The contact with the opposition occurred the same day that the HRW delegation held a meeting with the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, in Caracas. According to the Venezuelan government, the meeting was focused on “issues of common interest regarding fundamental guarantees” and is part of its dialogue initiatives to strengthen human rights and promote political plurality.
The meetings take place while the government and opposition sectors advance in a second cycle of talks with the support of the United States. Among the issues planned are political and civil guarantees and freedom of expression.
HRW has maintained a critical position on human rights conditions in Venezuela. In February, the organization called for reforms in judicial and electoral institutions and warned that the release of political prisoners was not enough if the structures used to detain and persecute opponents remained in place.
