(CNN) — The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Volker Türk, reiterated this Tuesday his calls to Venezuela to immediately release the prisoners detained “arbitrarily”. And he added that his team documented five deaths during security operations since the last OHCHR report in July 2022. Türk also expressed concern about attacks on civil society entities.
“Venezuela continues to face serious human rights challenges in the civil, political, economic and social spheres,” Türk said Tuesday at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, which held an “interactive dialogue on Venezuela.”
More than seven million Venezuelans need humanitarian aid, Türk added, citing UN statistics.
The high commissioner asked the Venezuelan authorities to guarantee the rights of people who work in rural areas and who have been protesting in defense of their right to land.
“My team has received reports that they have been harassed and killed by unidentified individuals. I note that some investigations have been launched, and I stress the need for accountability,” he said.
The head of the OHCHR also made an urgent appeal to the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, to respect the rights of the country’s indigenous people.
Türk was more optimistic, albeit cautious, about the country’s economic recovery. However, he insisted that human rights must be enshrined in policies aimed at boosting the country’s economic growth.
The OHCHR leader also said that the Maduro government made several commitments during a visit by Türk to the country last January.
“[Estos son] an important indicator and one that requires consistent monitoring. The willingness expressed by the authorities to undertake judicial and security reforms is a positive step,” he said.
Türk’s statements come as the Venezuelan government is going through a turbulent time. The country’s oil minister, Tareck El Aissami, resigned on Monday in the framework of open investigations into “serious acts of corruption” at the state oil company, PDVSA, El Aissami said in a tweet.
The US Treasury Department sanctioned El Aissami in 2017 on charges related to drug trafficking, which he denies. His resignation comes months after the Treasury issued a license in November 2022 for US oil giant Chevron to resume operations in Venezuela for six months.
“Should El Aissami remain in that position, he could complicate efforts to lift oil sanctions,” the US Congressional Research Service noted in a November 2022 report.
