U.S. views of human rights in Venezuela

From a daily digest of links to Venezuelan affairs, comes the following:

Yesterday in Washington, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on "the state of democracy in Venezuela." Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega and U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) John Maisto testified, saying they had high hopes for the recall vote scheduled for August 15. In addition, Jennifer McCoy, head of the Carter Center mission in Caracas; Jose Miguel Vivanco of Human Rights Watch; and Miguel Diaz, head of the Latin America program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, testified. According to the Associated Press, whereas Maisto and Noriega appear to have moderated their rhetoric since the announcement that a recall referendum will be held on August 15, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida went on the attack during the hearing, accusing the Chávez administration of, among other things, employing "suspicious technology" in voting machines to be used in the recall. Nelson again alleged that Chávez has ties to Colombian FARC guerrillas and Bolivian coca growers. In the past, the Senator has insisted he has proof to back up his claims, but declined to make that proof public and refused to say why he will not make it public. An audio recording of the Senate Hearing is available online at: http://69.41.247.188/audio/senado-eeuu-venezuela-junio04.mp3

How rich is that accusation about employing "suspicious technology" in voting machines by the Senator from Florida? And to make it even more of a stitch, the machines Venezuela purchased for voting were bought from a Florida company. The drug connection is an ongoing laugh as well, since Chávez is stretching his military constantly to combat Colombian drug traffickers. I have proof, but I can't tell you what it is and I can't tell you why I can't tell you.

Human Rights Watch Jose Vivanco has come under some strong criticism on several fronts since his recent remarks about Venezuela's human rights situation. (Al Giordano; Greg Wilpert; Oscar Heck)

A representative from a non-partisan human rights group in Venezuela, PROVEA, spoke to us on that trip I took in April. His summary conclusion was that human rights abuses were no worse and no better since Chávez took office. I thought that was kind of interesting since there don't seem to be any claims of people being disappeared since that time, which there had been before.

I wonder why Noriega has backed off. Any relationship to the resignation of Otto Reich? There's still some talk about plans for another coup if Chávez isn't ousted by the recall in August. Maybe they're laying low so as to limit their visibility for that eventuality, since they were so obviously involved in the last one - something that has (finally) prompted a Senate investigation. You suppose?

Anyway, it's kind of nervy for the U.S. to be making judgments on other countries' human rights records these days.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.



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