The UN rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, stated that the CLAP program “was well-intentioned as a temporary humanitarian relief by the government (…) but has become susceptible to political patronage and does not meet right-to-food standards” 

The independent United Nations rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, warned of the persistence of hunger and malnutrition in Venezuela attributable to problems in food distribution, the decrease in the purchasing power of the population’s income and the impact of coercive measures imposed by third countries.

The UN rapporteur presented his end-of-mission statement after a two-week visit to the country, which highlights the situation of children, women, older adults, indigenous people and the LGBTQI+ community who face difficulties in accessing food, lack the resources to buy food or lead a healthy diet and even resort to transactional sex to put food on their tables.

Hunger is insidious. Hunger is not a member of this political party or that political party. Hunger does not belong to this ministry or that ministry,” Mr. Fakhri said while warning that “the future of Venezuela is at stake” due to the food problems faced by children and adolescents.

“Children will usually go to school only when meals are served,” said the UN rapporteur, who met with different social sectors, NGOs, peasants, fishers and representatives of Nicolás Maduro’s administration. The expert is expected to deliver his final report next year before the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Mr. Fakhri said that the population experiences problems of access to sources of protein, fruit and vegetables, although these difficulties in obtaining food also vary by region. In coastal regions, for example, fish is commonly exchanged for vegetables and fruits.

Fakhri mentioned the existence of several formal and informal non-governmental organizations in the field of humanitarian aid that distribute food in disadvantaged neighborhoods or rural areas, a palliative measure that falls short of solving the difficulties faced by many Venezuelan families. In many communities, the rapporteur found families reducing portion sizes, refraining from eating certain products or skipping meals.

He also mentioned that, as a result of migration, the task of feeding the children is usually undertaken by their grandparents after the parents leave them in their care. “I have heard of older persons who have been left abandoned and lack the means to guarantee their food.”

The rapporteur explained that women carry a disproportionate amount of the burden since they are often the caregivers for their families and communities and still have to work for a wage or profit. He received reports in every state he visited about the situation of women forced to exchange sex for food.

“I couldn’t see it by myself but I received reports from different communities during the visits and I believe it is pertinent to mention it (…) Transactional sex for food is not only a matter of choice, it is a symptom of a more acute problem,” he said.

The expert also mentioned the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of some communities. He gave as an example the situation of the Añú people in Zulia state and how the drying out of the Sinamaica Lagoon and problems with the distribution of fuel are making fishing increasingly difficult for them.

CLAP, a program of political patronage

Another of the issues addressed by rapporteur Michael Fakhri was people’s access to the food bags distributed by the national government through the Local Supply and Production Committees (CLAP). He said that many families “draw a lifeline” from the program but the initiative now faces “increasing criticism” over inconsistent delivery, especially in remote areas, and its lack of nutritional value.

He claimed that the CLAP program “was well-intentioned as a temporary humanitarian relief by the government but has become susceptible to political patronage and does not address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition in Venezuela or meet right-to-food standards.”

Michael Fakhri insisted that the food problem in Venezuela involves distribution failures, as happens in other parts of the world. “Some challenges remain. They want to increase local production… but production by large companies again? That may happen, the government is having conversations with the private sector (…) I believe that in three to five years Venezuelans will look back and see changes in their food systems.

He also noted that the unilateral coercive measures “have increased the cost of delivering humanitarian assistance (…) the harm is felt disproportionately by persons living in extreme poverty or vulnerable circumstances.” He called upon all relevant States to review and lift sectoral sanctions imposed on Venezuela but warned that the hunger and food problems experienced by the population are not exclusively the result of the sanctions.

A UN Rapporteur with restricted access

Faced with questions about his alleged refusal to meet with certain social movements made by journalists from State media, the UN rapporteur recalled that he is not a political actor “and I have nothing at stake here in Venezuela.” He reiterated that he was simply describing the situation observed during his visits.

Mr. Fakhri denied having canceled meetings with specific social movements due to political problems, and he said that some activities had to be canceled due to logistical problems. “I even had to suspend a high-level meeting because I got sick (…) We were able to talk to all the actors, that was my priority.”

He also mentioned that the authorities constantly changed their agenda, and even canceled some activities, as happened with a visit to a preventive detention center in the state of Anzoátegui. “I am seriously concerned about the food security of prisoners and detainees in Venezuela (…) These detention centers are inhuman and degrading and may constitute torture.

He recognized that Venezuela has “very good laws” regarding the right to food. He urged the Venezuelan government to develop an urgent plan of action on the right to food based on existing laws, and to maintain and expand its support for food programs in universities, hospitals, preventive detention centers and prisons; as well as support people in rural areas, urban and suburban farmers, and indigenous peoples.

Translated by José Rafael Medina