In an unexpected move on Thursday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil announced that the Venezuelan government decided to suspend the activities of the Technical Assistance Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Venezuela. Gil cited a deviation from its mandate as the reason for this drastic action and decreed that the personnel affiliated with the office must vacate Venezuelan territory within 72 hours.
Despite initiating cooperation with the High Commissioner’s Office on September 20, 2019, through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, the Venezuelan government has taken issue with alleged constant pressure on their public authorities. The government’s statement described the office’s attitude as “colonialist, abusive, and in violation of the Charter of the United Nations.”
The Venezuelan government asserts that the office has violated the Charter of the United Nations and failed to fulfill the obligations outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding. Maduro’s administration insists that the Office has a duty to “respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and internal jurisdiction of States.”
The suspension of the High Commissioner’s Office comes hot on the heels of a statement by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, that raised “deep concern” about the detention of the activist Rocío San Miguel. Known for her critical stance against President Maduro’s regime, she now faces charges of “terrorism”.
Reacting to this decision, the spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office, Ravina Shamdasani, expressed regret and pledged to continue supporting the protection of human rights in Venezuela. Similarly, in a statement on social media, the Venezuelan opposition group Democratic Unity Platform criticized the government’s decision, alleging it reveals the “totalitarian nature of the regime.”
This article is based on information obtained from Jurist.