Venezuela Halts UN Human Rights Office Activities
Venezuela Suspends UN Human Rights Office, Expels Employees
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has made a bold move by announcing the suspension of the United Nations Human Rights Office in the country and ordering 13 UN employees to leave the country within 72 hours. Gil stated at a press conference that the UN office was not acting in accordance with its purpose and was involved in conspiracies and coup attempts against the country.
The UN Human Rights Office has been operating in Caracas since 2019, but the Venezuelan government has accused it of operating as a private law firm and being involved in activities against the country. Gil described the personnel assigned to the office as colonialists and abusers, demanding that they reveal their actions to the international public as they are forced to leave the country.
The foreign minister also emphasized that the UN Office has exhibited biased behavior since the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2019 and has acted unfairly towards Venezuela in various instances. However, Gil made it clear that Venezuela will continue to work in cooperation with international human rights institutions, as long as there is no interference in the country’s internal affairs and the constitutional institutions are respected.
This declaration comes on the heels of the Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab announcing the detention of 19 people for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy and assassination plan against President Nicolas Maduro. The tensions between Venezuela and the UN Human Rights Office are likely to have significant implications for the country and its relationship with international organizations moving forward.
