The Venezuelan organization Un Mundo Sin Mordaza presented its 2022 report Venezuela en Cifras (Venezuela in Figures) analyzing the situation of 10 fundamental human rights in the country in 2022, including the rights to freedom of expression, a healthy environment, education, protest, security, adequate public services, and health, as well as the state of migration, the economy, and corruption. The report is the result of a documentary research that included interviews with experts.
The paper presents figures and evidence of the violation of each right, describing the guarantees violated and outlining conclusions. The organization documented recent attacks against freedom of expression, the destruction of the environment, the deficiencies of the education system, police violence and the economic and health crises.
One of the conclusions of the report urges the adoption of measures to prevent new human rights violations in Venezuela, repair the damage of previous violations and bring those responsible to justice while highlighting the responsibility of the Venezuelan State in the protection of human rights and the sustainability of resources. The effort seeks to raise awareness and promote actions to improve the situation.
The report
During 2022, Venezuela witnessed different situations that violated the human rights enshrined in the national constitution and international treaties.
The right to freedom of expression and information was violated through arbitrary detentions, threats, harassment and the blocking of the media. The report calls to urgently correct the deficiencies of the internet service to enable the full exercise of these rights, where every person can benefit from the inclusive opportunities for progress. These situations reveal the worrying violation of multiple international human rights standards in Venezuela, as the Venezuelan State fails to comply with its obligations to adopt measures to promote the progressive realization of such rights. It is urgent to take measures to prevent new abuses, repair the damage caused by previous and current violations and punish those responsible for the crimes. The Venezuelan State has the undeniable responsibility to protect and guarantee human rights and the sustainability of natural resources for present and future generations.
The destruction of national parks, natural monuments and recreation areas was also documented in the report, as well as its serious effect on biodiversity, ecosystems and water resources, in violation of the right to a healthy environment. Deforestation, regular and large-scale contamination of water bodies, illegal mining and the contamination of rivers such as the Orinoco and Caroní are examples of the serious violations of this fundamental human right.
The research also analyzed the situation of the Venezuelan education system, which was found to face serious deficiencies in infrastructure, equipment and resources, endangering people’s right to education. The deficiencies more harshly affect students in rural and low-income communities, in violation of the principle of equality and non-discrimination.
The shortcomings of the Venezuelan consular network were also discussed in the document, a situation that violates the right to recognition of the legal status of Venezuelan migrants and refugees, thus deepening their vulnerability and social exclusion.
The economic crisis afflicting the country, manifested in the form of high inflation, low wages, an unaffordable basic food basket, widespread poverty and the precarization of the economy has resulted in the violation of the human right to an adequate standard of living. This situation also constitutes a breach of the international treaties guaranteeing the right to food and decent work and harms the right to work. The violation of the principles of the progressive realization of rights and the prohibition of regression.
The lack of access to basic services such as water, electricity and cooking gas constituted a violation of the right to an adequate standard of living and a breach of the fundamental obligations of the State. The Venezuelan State is failing to comply with its obligation to provide public services on a regular and continuous basis, which constitutes a violation of the right to access public services. The lack of essential public services also violated the principle of prohibition of regression in the realization of rights enshrined in international law.
Finally, the report addressed the lack of access to basic medical care in Venezuela, which constituted a violation of the human right to health and people’s right to life. The unavailability of hospital beds, medical supplies and medications, as well as the shortage of medical workers, led to many patients being denied medical care, a violation of their right to health. Likewise, the opacity in information about the health crisis in the country violated the right to transparency.
See the full report in Spanish HERE
Translated by Jose Rafael Medina
