Venezuela must halt escalating campaign against human rights defenders

Venezuela must halt escalating campaign against human rights defenders
16 October 2015, 05:01 UTC

Venezuela must halt its escalating campaign of attacks and harassment
against human rights activists and instead publicly support their
crucial and legitimate work, said Amnesty International as the country
faces a hearing at the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights on
Monday 19 October.

"Defending human rights in Venezuela has become an increasingly
dangerous occupation with activists harassed and attacked for
criticizing the authorities," said Marcos Gómez, Director at Amnesty
International Venezuela, who will represent the organization at the hearing.

In recent weeks, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has publicly
criticized the work of human rights organizations and activists. In a
televised speech on 21 August he discredited Marino Alvarado, a member
of local human rights group Provea, stating his organization was
right-wing and questioning its work.

A few weeks later, on 1 October, armed men attacked Marino Alvarado in
his doorway as he arrived home with his nine-year-old son. An
investigation has been launched and the Public Ministry has requested
protection measures for him and his family.

"Unless the authorities at the highest level send a clear message that
human rights defenders play a fundamental role in Venezuelan society by
contributing to the protection of everybody's human rights and encourage
their work and participation in the public space, attacks like this one
will continue," said Marcos Gómez.

Source: Venezuela must halt escalating campaign against human rights
defenders | Amnesty International | Amnesty International -
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/10/venezuela-must-halt-escalating-campaign-against-human-rights-defenders/