Page 6 - aruba-today-20220921

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 21 september 2022
U.N. experts: Rights abuses continue in Maduro’s Venezuela

By REGINA GARCIA CANO perpetrators to account
and JAMEY KEATEN and provide reparations to
Associated Press victims in a context where
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) judicial reforms announced
— Independent experts from 2021 have failed to
working with the U.N.’s top address the justice system’s
human rights body say Ven- lack of independence and
ezuelan authorities have impartiality,” a statement
failed to hold to account from the mission said.
state-backed perpetrators The team, which drew its
of violations including ar- findings in part from nearly
bitrary executions, sexual 250 interviews, document-
violence and torture of ci- ed a total of 122 cases
vilians, warning that abuses of victims who were sub-
by intelligence and coun- jected by DGCIM agents
terintelligence services are to torture, sexual violence
continuing. and other cruel, inhuman,
The third report from the or degrading treatment at
fact-finding mission on Ven- its headquarters in Caracas
ezuela, commissioned by and covert centers around
the U.N.’s Human Rights the country.
Council, released Tuesday The report also documents
adds new detail on a string human rights abuses in a
of rights violations includ- Venezuela’s National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) headquarters, known as El Helicoide, stands in remote region where ille-
ing possible crimes against front of La Cota 905 neighborhood in Caracas, Venezuela, Sept. 12, 2022. Associated Press gal gold mining is preva-
humanity under President lent. The area known as the
Nicolás Maduro’s govern- including civilians and methods, including beat- a profound human rights Arco Minero del Orinoco
ment that the experts first government critics. Those ings, electric shocks, as- crisis,” said Marta Valiñas, was established last de-
documented two years orders were followed by phyxiation with plastic bags a Portuguese legal expert cade as the country’s oil
ago. members of the Bolivarian and stress positions, as well who chairs the mission. industry, whose proceeds
The report details on the National Intelligence Ser- as threats to kill and rape The mission said authorities kept the country moving,
chain of command fol- vice, who arrested individu- detainees, or other forms of have not done enough to came undone.
lowed in the commission als after “a period of surveil- psychological torture,” ac- compensate victims, and The region has become
of torture, sexual violence lance and investigation” cording to the report. The cautioned that violations heavily militarized and
and other cruel acts in ef- and tortured or subjected document says the agen- continue “to this day” un- armed groups are allowed
forts to suppress opposition them “to cruel, inhuman cy’s main targets included der the military counterin- to operate. The mission’s
against the government. or degrading treatment or opposition, student and telligence service, known findings include attacks on
The document states Mad- punishment.” protest leaders; journalists; as DGCIM, and the Bolivar- Indigenous populations in
uro and ruling party leader Some were tortured for and people working for ian National Intelligence the area that generate op-
Diosdado Cabello have days or weeks. non-governmental organi- Service. portunities for individuals
given orders “identifying The intelligence service “re- zations. “The Venezuelan authori- close to power to generate
targets for investigation,” lied on a range of torture “Venezuela is still facing ties have failed to hold personal wealth.q

Eritrea accused of starting offensive on Ethiopia’s Tigray

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA northern Ethiopia in what allied militia, Tigray spokes- ed to have killed tens of ternal foreign actors should
Associated Press appears to be an escala- man Getachew Reda said thousands of people and respect Ethiopia’s territorial
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) tion of last month’s renewal Tuesday. “Eritrea is deploy- left millions without basic integrity and avoid fueling
— Tigrayan authorities say of fighting. The Eritreans are ing its entire army as well services for well over a year. the conflict.” He reiterated
Eritrea has launched a fighting alongside Ethiopi- as reservists. Our forces are Eritrean forces fought on a call for the warring sides
full-scale offensive along an federal forces, including heroically defending their the side of Ethiopian fed- to enter into talks saying
the country’s border with commando units, as well as positions,” he tweeted. eral troops in Tigray when that “there is no military so-
A humanitarian worker war started in November lution to the conflict.”
in the northern Ethiopian 2020. Eritrean forces were Inside Tigray now, millions of
town of Adigrat told The As- implicated in some of the residents are still largely cut
sociated Press that Eritrean worst atrocities committed off from the world. Com-
forces were shelling the sur- in the conflict charges they munications and banking
rounding areas. deny. The war reignited in services are severed, and
It was not immediately pos- August after a lull in fighting their restoration has been a
sible to obtain comment earlier this year. key demand in mediation
from authorities in Ethiopia The U.S. envoy to the Horn efforts.
or Eritrea, which lies north of Africa told reporters The full-blown entry of Er-
of Tigray. Tuesday that Washington itrea into the Tigray war
Britain and Canada issued has been tracking Eritrean looks set to complicate any
travel advisories last week troop movements across peace efforts between Ti-
telling their citizens in Eritrea the border. grayan leaders and Ethio-

A man crosses near a destroyed truck on a road leading to the to be vigilant after authori- “They are extremely con- pian Prime Minister Abiy
town of Abi Adi, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on May ties there called up citizens cerning, and we condemn Ahmed, who mended ties
11, 2021. to report for military duty. it,” Mike Hammer said of the with Eritrea as soon as he
Associated Press The war in Tigray is estimat- troop movements. “All ex- rose to power in 2018.q