Hemisphere Weekly: UN report on Venezuela

In a report released on Tuesday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) found that Venezuela’s justice system has been “considerably undermined,” due to a lack of transparency in the process of designation, precarious working conditions, and political interference, among other things. These conditions prevent the body from exercising its role “as an independent actor in protecting human rights, and contributes to impunity and the persistence of human rights violations in the country.” The report comes as Venezuela’s Supreme Court ousts leaders of opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s Popular Will party ahead of legislative elections on December 6, 2020. 

Commissioned in September by the UN Human Rights Council, the 15-page report also found that the government had failed to investigate crimes linked to the mining industry in the region of Arco Minero del Orinoco (AMO). The OHCHR documented a pattern of labor exploitation of minors, including child labor, by criminal groups that exercise control over a large number of mining operations, despite the “considerable” presence of the Venezuelan military. Though unable to verify, UN investigators received reports of human trafficking and forced prostitution, including of teenagers.