Centro Simon Wiesenthal
Cabello 3872, PB "C" (C1425APR) - Buenos Aires - Argentina
Teléfono: (5411) 4802-1744 * Fax: (5411) 4802-1774
E-mail: info@cswlatinoamerica.org

Buenos Aires, 24 February, 2012

The Simon Wiesenthal Center protested Venezuela’s candidacy for a seat at the UN Human Rights Council, in upcoming May elections.

In a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, Dr. Shimon Samuels (Wiesenthal Center’s Director for International Relations) and Sergio Widder (Director for Latin America), noted that “the government of President Hugo Chavez pursues a domestic policy which violates human rights, persecutes dissidents, and actively encourages and promotes antisemitism.”

The letter pointed to a series of State-sponsored antisemitic incidents:

- Two police raids against a Caracas Jewish Community Center (Hebraica), one under the pretext of a search for hidden weapons and explosives;

- Desecration of synagogues;

- A Christmas Eve speech by President Hugo Chávez in 2005, where he stated that “the world has wealth for all, but some minorities, among them the descendants of the murderers of Christ, have seized the wealth of the world”.

- Frequent attacks from state-sponsored media, most recently against Chavez’ election challenger, Henrique Capriles Radonski, due to his Jewish roots (see http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lsKWLbPJLnF&b=4441467&ct=11630857)

“Venezuela’s appointment to the Human Rights Council would be like engaging a pyromaniac to ensure UN fire safety. Chavez’ government is an active and serial human rights violator,” stated Samuels.

“The Latin America block has many appropriate candidates for this seat. Indeed, democracy and human rights have improved across the region in the last three decades, yet Venezuela has bucked the trend,” added Widder.

Samuels and Widder stressed to the High Commissioner that “state-sponsored antisemitism in Venezuela has been denounced by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), of the Organization of American States (OAS), which issued a report entitled “Democracy and Human Rights in Venezuela” in December, 2009 (see references to antisemitism in Venezuela in paragraphs 780 – 786, http://www.cidh.org/pdf%20files/VENEZUELA%202009%20ENG.pdf ).

The Center urged Pillay “to reject Venezuela’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council, and, instead, promote democracies to strengthen the respect for human rights and for the UN system,” concluded Samuels and Widder.

For further information, contact Dr. Shimon Samuels at +336 09770158, or Sergio Widder at +54911 4425-1306, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400.000 members. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament.