3/26/14, "Venezuelans camp outside UN office amid frustration with international response to protests," AP via Fox News, Caracas
"Dozens of students have pitched camp outside the United Nations
office in Caracas to complain the international community is siding with
Venezuela's government by not speaking out against rights abuses during
a bloody, two-month political standoff.
About 100
young activists put up tents on the concrete sidewalk along one of the
capital's busiest, smog-filled streets Monday ahead of the arrival of a
delegation of South American foreign minister.
The ministers are
expected to express support for President Nicolas Maduro's call for
reconciliation with his opponents.
Several
governments in the region are recipients of sizeable foreign aid from
Venezuela during the past 15 years of socialist rule in this oil-rich
nation, and none of the students expect those countries to abandon
support for Maduro.
They reserve special anger for
Brazil, the region's economic powerhouse, which has supplied Venezuelan
security forces with tear gas used to break up sometimes violent
protests. At least 32 people have died and hundreds been injured during
the unrest.
"If Brazil knows that in Venezuela
people are being killed and arrested, then why does it keep contributing
to the repression?", said Gerardo Carrero, who traveled 15 hours by bus
from the western state of Tachira, where the unrest that began in early
February has been strongest. He brought a manifesto demanding the U.N.
intervene.
The students, who hail from 15 states,
said they won't take down the makeshift campground until U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sends an international commission to
investigate allegations of brutality, torture and abuse by security
forces and pro-government militias during the crackdown on dissenters.
In
recent weeks, Maduro has also arrested opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez
and two mayors for allegedly plotting with students to topple his
year-old administration.
The U.N. chief urged
Maduro's government March 3 to "listen carefully" to the streets. While
not the condemnation that protesters want, it was far better in their
view than the vote a few days later by the Organization of American
States to declare "full support" for Maduro's attempts at dialogue. The
U.S., Canada and Panama were the only OAS members to vote against the
declaration.
While the South American foreign
ministers will meet with some members of the opposition, they're
expected to voice a similar view. Many of the region's leftist leaders
received support from Maduro's mentor and predecessor, the late Hugo
Chavez. Others, like Brazil and Colombia, have substantial trade and
business dealings with Venezuela.
"If they play the
same role as those that sat at the OAS, then it's a trip to collaborate
with the government instead of look for solutions," Andres Velazquez, an
opposition lawmaker from Bolivar state, told The Associated Press.
The
United States has spoken out forcefully in criticizing the Venezuelan
government's handling of the unrest. But some analysts say Washington's
comments could hurt the opposition's chances of broadening its support.
Talk
of sanctions in Congress and comments by Secretary of State John Kerry
accusing Maduro of leading a "terror campaign" against opponents is
likely to boost support for Maduro among leftist leaders in the region
who mistrust the U.S. after spending their youth protesting its meddling
in Latin America."
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