VENEZUELA
WHEREAS
in Venezuela actions of the government have aggravated the atmosphere of political
intolerance and systematic and general violations of human rights, including
attacks and serious threats on the life, integrity, personal liberty and freedom
of expression of the population and especially journalists and other press
workers
WHEREAS
the Organization of American States, the Carter Center and the United Nations
have facilitated the creation of a peaceful, democratic, constitutional and
electoral way to solve the acute political, social and governing crisis in
Venezuela today and there is a risk that this way could be lost because of
obstacles that the government has imposed and continues to impose
WHEREAS
the government of President Hugo Chávez Frías has threatened
once again to apply military and repressive measures against the media and
to promote legislation restricting press freedom
WHEREAS
the Constitutional Division of the Supreme Court issued Ruling No. 1942 upholding
the validity of what are known as contempt laws which establish criminal penalties
for critics in the press and of government public relations officials and
their supervisors in open contradiction with the basic principles of democracy
and that it adds to the previous Ruling 1013 which validates general principles
of jurisprudence which restrict freedom of press and information in Venezuela
WHEREAS
Principle 2 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, “Every person has
the right to seek and receive information, express opinions and disseminate
them freely. No one may restrict or deny these rights”
WHEREAS
Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, “Freedom of expression
and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure,
intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities,
violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated
promptly and punished harshly”
THE MIDYEAR MEETING OF
THE IAPA RESOLVES
to energetically condemn the government’s policies put into practice
to progressively restrict freedom of expression and press in Venezuela
to express its dismay
over the massive and systematic violations of the rights to life, integrity
and personal liberty that Venezuelans, and especially journalists and other
press workers, suffer
to demand that the Venezuelan
government end such practices and acts which contradict the most elemental
principles of democratic life and respect for human dignity
to express its desire
that the Organization of American Status, the Carter Center and the United
Nations continue to contribute to the effective achievement of a peaceful,
democratic, constitutional and electoral solution to the Venezuela crisis
to send a copy of the
report on Venezuela and this resolution to the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, asking
for their recognition and declaration about the facts in them.
questions
or comments?