Venered: May 2014

A raíz de la visita de Lilian Tintori, el Boston Globe publicó hoy un editorial muy importante sobre la situación en Venezuela y la conexión con Citizen Energy.

A continuación presentamos un extracto del texto:

" ... Citizens Energy has provided a winter lifeline to more than 1.8 million people. If it gave up its deal with Venezuela, many of those families would face far higher heating costs. But American interests aren’t the only ones at issue. In López’s Harvard award acceptance letter, he urged Americans to speak up about what’s happening in his country: “You have an opportunity to send a far different message: that the weight of the global community is on the side of human rights and dignity.”

Para leer el texto completo del editorial, hacer clic aquí.

Es la primera vez que el Globe se pronuncia de una manera tan contundente. ¡Estimados residentes de Nueva Inglaterra hay que difundir el mensaje! Accedan a la página online del Globe y escriban sus comentarios, o mejor aun, envíen una carta al editor felicitando al Globe y agradeciendo la publicación del editorial. Envíen una carta de apoyo a letter@globe.com o fax: 617-929-2098.

URGENT ACTION

MORE protesters detained, AT risk of TORTURE

On 14 May security forces in Caracas detained at least 100 people involved in ongoing anti-government demonstrations. They are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment and their right to due process is at risk.

According to reports, on 14 May, at least 100 people including some minors, were detained by Venezuelan National Guard in Chacao municipality, east of the capital Caracas, with excessive use of force. Some of them have been released after few hours, including all the minors. They were detained while taking part in a student demonstration organised to protest against the detention of 243 people between 7 and 8 May. Student demonstration was held in front of the UNDP’s office

National Guards attacked media workers who were covering the protest. According to press reports, four photographers were beaten and three journalist assaulted, some of them present injuries by rubber pellets. The Ministry of Tourism, adjacent to the UNDP’s offices was reportedly attacked with stones and Molotov cocktails during the demonstration. A member of the National Guard was injured when he was accidently hit by one of the buses that was carrying some of the detainees into custody.

In the context of the ongoing protests in Venezuela, Amnesty International has received dozens of complaints about torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees by members of the security forces, at the time of detention, during transfer and at detention centres. The detainees’ safety and right to due process are at grave risk.