Latest news with #JorgeRodríguez
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Venezuelan lawmakers declare UN human rights chief persona non grata
Venezuela's ruling party–controlled National Assembly on Tuesday declared Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, persona non grata, criticizing the UN official for failing to protect the rights of Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to a prison in El Salvador. The rare diplomatic designation has no immediate practical effect but reflected the broader anger of President Nicolás Maduro at the UN agency that monitors and defends human rights. It comes just days after Türk said his office has documented increasing arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and torture under Maduro's government. 'Türk turns a blind eye to atrocious crimes,' said National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, who is also Maduro's chief negotiator with the US. 'He does nothing for the human rights of Venezuelans in the United States and El Salvador.' El Salvador is holding 252 Venezuelans deported from the US in a maximum-security prison. Türk recently urged the US to halt deportations of Venezuelans who may be at risk of arrest in their home country and raised concerns about the lack of due process in mass deportations from the US. The ire of Venezuela's National Assembly appeared to have been energized by Türk's speech to the Human Rights Council in Geneva last Friday. Türk raised alarm over an intensifying crackdown on civil liberties in the wake of Venezuela's parliamentary elections in June and the unrest that followed Maduro's disputed reelection last year–echoing past statements of concern from his agency and other watchdogs. Electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner of the July 2024 presidential election despite credible evidence to the contrary. 'I am very concerned by detention conditions, including people being denied access to medical care and lacking access to food and water,' he told the council last week. 'Some prisoners were subjected to incommunicado detention.' Lawmakers called on Maduro to withdraw Venezuela's membership from the Human Rights Council while Türk remains in his post. Türk's office offered no immediate response to the National Assembly decision. The move Tuesday raised new questions over the status of the UN human rights office in Venezuela's capital of Caracas, which partially resumed operations last December–months after Maduro's government forced it to close and expelled its staff, accusing the agency's employees of aiding coup-plotters and terrorists as tensions surged in the run-up to the presidential election.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuelan lawmakers declare UN human rights chief persona non grata
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's ruling party-controlled National Assembly on Tuesday declared Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, persona non grata, criticizing the U.N. official for failing to protect the rights of Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to a prison in El Salvador. The rare diplomatic designation has no immediate practical effect but reflected the broader anger of President Nicolás Maduro at the U.N. agency that monitors and defends human rights. It comes just days after Türk said his office has documented increasing arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and torture under Maduro's government. 'Türk turns a blind eye to atrocious crimes,' said National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, who is also Maduro's chief negotiator with the U.S. 'He does nothing for the human rights of Venezuelans in the United States and El Salvador.' El Salvador is holding 252 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. in a maximum-security prison. Türk recently urged the U.S. to halt deportations of Venezuelans who may be at risk of arrest in their home country and raised concerns about the lack of due process in mass deportations from the U.S. The ire of Venezuela's National Assembly appeared to have been energized by Türk's speech to the Human Rights Council in Geneva last Friday. Türk raised alarm over an intensifying crackdown on civil liberties in the wake of Venezuela's parliamentary elections in June and the unrest that followed Maduro's disputed re-election last year — echoing past statements of concern from his agency and other watchdogs. Electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner of the July 2024 presidential election despite credible evidence to the contrary. 'I am very concerned by detention conditions, including people being denied access to medical care, and lacking access to food and water,' he told the council last week. 'Some prisoners were subjected to incommunicado detention.' Lawmakers called on Maduro to withdraw Venezuela's membership from the Human Rights Council while Türk remains in his post. Türk's office offered no immediate response to the National Assembly decision. The move Tuesday raised new questions over the status of the U.N. human rights office in Venezuela's capital of Caracas, which partially resumed operations last December — months after Maduro's government forced it to close and expelled its staff, accusing the agency's employees of aiding 'coup-plotters and terrorists' as tensions surged in the run-up to the presidential election. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Venezuelan lawmakers declare UN human rights chief persona non grata
Venezuela's ruling party-controlled National Assembly on Tuesday declared Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, persona non grata, criticizing the U.N. official for failing to protect the rights of Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to a prison in El Salvador. The rare diplomatic designation has no immediate practical effect but reflected the broader anger of President Nicolás Maduro at the U.N. agency that monitors and defends human rights. It comes just days after Türk said his office has documented increasing arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and torture under Maduro's government. 'Türk turns a blind eye to atrocious crimes,' said National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, who is also Maduro's chief negotiator with the U.S. 'He does nothing for the human rights of Venezuelans in the United States and El Salvador.' El Salvador is holding 252 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. in a maximum-security prison. Türk recently urged the U.S. to halt deportations of Venezuelans who may be at risk of arrest in their home country and raised concerns about the lack of due process in mass deportations from the U.S. The ire of Venezuela's National Assembly appeared to have been energized by Türk's speech to the Human Rights Council in Geneva last Friday. Türk raised alarm over an intensifying crackdown on civil liberties in the wake of Venezuela's parliamentary elections in June and the unrest that followed Maduro's disputed re-election last year — echoing past statements of concern from his agency and other watchdogs. Electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner of the July 2024 presidential election despite credible evidence to the contrary. 'I am very concerned by detention conditions, including people being denied access to medical care, and lacking access to food and water,' he told the council last week. 'Some prisoners were subjected to incommunicado detention.' Lawmakers called on Maduro to withdraw Venezuela's membership from the Human Rights Council while Türk remains in his post. Türk's office offered no immediate response to the National Assembly decision. The move Tuesday raised new questions over the status of the U.N. human rights office in Venezuela's capital of Caracas, which partially resumed operations last December — months after Maduro's government forced it to close and expelled its staff, accusing the agency's employees of aiding 'coup-plotters and terrorists' as tensions surged in the run-up to the presidential election. ____
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Venezuelan lawmakers declare UN human rights chief persona non grata
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's ruling party-controlled National Assembly on Tuesday declared Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, persona non grata, criticizing the U.N. official for failing to protect the rights of Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to a prison in El Salvador. The rare diplomatic designation has no immediate practical effect but reflected the broader anger of President Nicolás Maduro at the U.N. agency that monitors and defends human rights. It comes just days after Türk said his office has documented increasing arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and torture under Maduro's government. 'Türk turns a blind eye to atrocious crimes,' said National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, who is also Maduro's chief negotiator with the U.S. 'He does nothing for the human rights of Venezuelans in the United States and El Salvador.' El Salvador is holding 252 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. in a maximum-security prison. Türk recently urged the U.S. to halt deportations of Venezuelans who may be at risk of arrest in their home country and raised concerns about the lack of due process in mass deportations from the U.S. The ire of Venezuela's National Assembly appeared to have been energized by Türk's speech to the Human Rights Council in Geneva last Friday. Türk raised alarm over an intensifying crackdown on civil liberties in the wake of Venezuela's parliamentary elections in June and the unrest that followed Maduro's disputed re-election last year — echoing past statements of concern from his agency and other watchdogs. Electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner of the July 2024 presidential election despite credible evidence to the contrary. 'I am very concerned by detention conditions, including people being denied access to medical care, and lacking access to food and water,' he told the council last week. 'Some prisoners were subjected to incommunicado detention.' Lawmakers called on Maduro to withdraw Venezuela's membership from the Human Rights Council while Türk remains in his post. Türk's office offered no immediate response to the National Assembly decision. The move Tuesday raised new questions over the status of the U.N. human rights office in Venezuela's capital of Caracas, which partially resumed operations last December — months after Maduro's government forced it to close and expelled its staff, accusing the agency's employees of aiding 'coup-plotters and terrorists' as tensions surged in the run-up to the presidential election. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Costa Rica's top court seeks to strip President Chaves' immunity over corruption case
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Rica's Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the country's legislature to strip President Rodrigo Chaves of his legal immunity so he can stand trial on corruption charges. Chaves, accused of awarding lucrative consulting contracts to a close associate, has denied wrongdoing. His office did not immediately comment on the ruling, which justices decided in a 15-to-7 vote. Costa Rica's top court has never before accepted a request to revoke a president's immunity. The case now goes to Congress, which is dominated by opposition lawmakers and has the final say. Prosecutors accuse Chaves of abusing his authority in diverting part of a $32,000 contract financed by a multilateral bank — the Central American Bank for Economic Integration — to his adviser and campaign strategist, Federico 'Choreco' Cruz. On Tuesday, the top court also asked Chaves' minister of culture and former chief of staff, Jorge Rodríguez, to stand trial in the same case. The case first emerged in 2023 when local media released leaked audio recordings that purported to show Chaves discussing Cruz's involvement in the contracts. Chaves and his allies have other cases pending against them. Costa Rica's attorney general's office filed a separate indictment last week accusing the president of illicit financing the 2022 election campaign that brought him to power. Chaves also denies those charges. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
