Venezuela challenged the UN on Monday to see for itself if opposition allegations of human rights abuses were true.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza invited the organisation’s human rights experts to visit his country to see the situation there at first hand.
He said the invitation was intended to break through the “media matrix” pushed by biased and unfounded sources from the global rightwing.
Venezuela’s Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) opposition blamed the government and security forces for the 124 deaths during four months of regime change riots from April to early August this year.
The US, EU and Britain have backed those claims, with Washington slapping new financial sanctions on Venezuela last month.
After meeting Mud leaders in Berlin last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was considering EU sanctions on Caracas as well for allegation rights violations.
But Mr Arreaza said the rioters had committed crimes against humanity, burning people alive and attacking more more than 900 schools, hospitals, food distribution centres and official buildings.
By contrast he said there were 16 proven cases of the use of disproportionate use fo force by the security forces — and the officers involved were under arrest.
At a press conference last month, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pointed out the rioters had burned more than 30 large government food warehouses during the unrest, affecting four million families who depended on them.
And they set 29 citizens alight on the mere suspicion of being government supporters, nine of whom died.
And Mr Arreaza accused UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein of “acting in a highly biased manner” which “appears to form part of a strategy of aggression.”
“With all respect we have come to say the work done by the high commissioner is not correct” — calling for a review of his position on Venezuela.
Venezuela’s position was supported by its regional allies Cuba and Nicaragua, along with China, Russia and Iran.
The foreign minister thanked the many nations which have expressed solidarity with his country.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza invited the organisation’s human rights experts to visit his country to see the situation there at first hand.
He said the invitation was intended to break through the “media matrix” pushed by biased and unfounded sources from the global rightwing.
Venezuela’s Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) opposition blamed the government and security forces for the 124 deaths during four months of regime change riots from April to early August this year.
The US, EU and Britain have backed those claims, with Washington slapping new financial sanctions on Venezuela last month.
After meeting Mud leaders in Berlin last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was considering EU sanctions on Caracas as well for allegation rights violations.
But Mr Arreaza said the rioters had committed crimes against humanity, burning people alive and attacking more more than 900 schools, hospitals, food distribution centres and official buildings.
By contrast he said there were 16 proven cases of the use of disproportionate use fo force by the security forces — and the officers involved were under arrest.
At a press conference last month, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pointed out the rioters had burned more than 30 large government food warehouses during the unrest, affecting four million families who depended on them.
And they set 29 citizens alight on the mere suspicion of being government supporters, nine of whom died.
And Mr Arreaza accused UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein of “acting in a highly biased manner” which “appears to form part of a strategy of aggression.”
“With all respect we have come to say the work done by the high commissioner is not correct” — calling for a review of his position on Venezuela.
Venezuela’s position was supported by its regional allies Cuba and Nicaragua, along with China, Russia and Iran.
The foreign minister thanked the many nations which have expressed solidarity with his country.