Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

UPR 40, January 24, 2022
Recommendations by Canada

Recommendation

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Thank you, Mister President.

Canada remains gravely concerned by the drastic increase in human rights violations and the worsening of the humanitarian crisis.

Venezuela must fully comply with recommendations issued by the OHCHR and the FFM, and take into account recommendations from Venezuelan civil society organizations.

Canada recommends that Venezuela:

1. Combat impunity for rights violations and crimes, including extrajudicial executions, enforced detention and torture, and abuses against protesters, by examining multi-level responsibility and ensuring accountability for the perpetrators at the highest levels of the chain of command.
2. Provide effective remedies to victims of human rights abuses and adopt urgent measures to address gender-based violence and violence against women and girls.
3. Address the presence of non-state armed groups and corruption linked to illicit gold mining in the Arco Minero and take action to stop human rights abuses including killings, torture, forced labour, sexual exploitation and sexual and gender-based violence that are reportedly taking place in the region.
4. Cease all acts of harassment, criminalization and persecution against independent journalists, human rights defenders and civil society organizations, guaranteeing a safe and enabling legal and institutional environment for their work in defense of human rights. 

Canada strongly encourages the Government of Venezuela to restore the independence and impartiality of the judiciary by addressing structural issues. This includes ensuring the public, competitive selection of judges and prosecutors, ceasing interference in specific cases and safeguarding the rights of victims and families to justice and reparation, including access to information about investigations underway.

Canada also strongly encourages the Government of Venezuela to immediately and unconditionally, release all political prisoners, cease the practices of arbitrary detentions, torture, extrajudicial executions, and enforced disappearances, ensuring proper medical attention for those detained and adopt positive measures towards eradicating discrimination against political dissidents.