Human Rights Expert Alfred de Zayas Demands End to Sanctions Against Venezuela
This Saturday, January 28, Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, a lawyer specializing in international law and United Nations (UN) Human Rights expert, demanded through a post on Twitter the lifting of illegal sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the United States.
In a tweet, de Zayas wrote:
“Unilateral coercive measures are not a legitimate tool of foreign policy — but a grave violation of the UN Charter by the US, UK, Canada and EU — and a crime against humanity.”
“The US and EU have no right to call their unilateral coercive measures ‘sanctions.’ They are arbitrary geopolitical measures. The US has zero moral superiority and is in no position to ‘punish’ anybody,” he added.
Unilateral coercive measures are not a legitimate tool of foreign policy — but a grave violation of the UN Charter by the US, UK, Canada and EU — and a crime against humanity
— Alfred de Zayas (@Alfreddezayas) January 29, 2023
The US and EU have no right to call their unilateral coercive measures "sanctions". They are arbitrary geopolitical measures. The US has zero moral superiority and is in no position to "punish" anybody.
— Alfred de Zayas (@Alfreddezayas) January 29, 2023
The former UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order went on to say, “‘Sanctions’ is a cynical misnomer which wrongly suggests that the sanctioned country has committed a crime and that the country imposing sanctions has a legitimate right to do so.” De Zayas is Cuban-born but grew up in Chicago, Illinois, serving in the UN from 1981 to 2003 as a senior lawyer with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chief of Petitions.
De Zayas has previously advocated for the rights of indigenous groups around the world, including but not limited to the Armenians of Nagorno Karabagh, the Sahrawi population of Western Sahara, the Tamils of Sri Lanka, and the indigenous population of US-occupied Hawaii. He was also a vocal critic of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and US detention of prisoners in Guantanamo.
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In another tweet, the human rights expert added the following: “Using human rights as a pretext to impose unilateral coercive measures is profoundly cynical — it is a sacrilege against human dignity. It constitutes secular blasphemy.” Since visiting Venezuela in 2017, de Zayas has denied the existence of a “humanitarian crisis” and has attributed the economic issues in Venezuela to the imposition of US and European sanctions against the country.
"Sanctions" is a cynical misnomer which wrongly suggests that the sanctioned country has committed a crime and that the country imposing sanctions has a legitimate right to do so.
— Alfred de Zayas (@Alfreddezayas) January 29, 2023
Using human rights as a pretext to impose unilateral coercive measures is profoundly cynical — it is a sacrilege against human dignity. It constitutes secular blasphemy.
— Alfred de Zayas (@Alfreddezayas) January 29, 2023
Regarding the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Volker Türk’s recent visit to Venezuela, de Zayas wrote, “The visit of High Commissioner Volker Türk to Venezuela 26-28 January 2023 is to be welcomed. Now it is for Türk to push in New York and Washington for a lifting of the illegal unilateral coercive measures.”
The visit of High Commissioner Volker Türk to Venezuela 26-28 January 2023 is to be welcomed. Now it is for Türk to push in New York and Washington for a lifting of the illegal unilateral coercive measures.
— Alfred de Zayas (@Alfreddezayas) January 29, 2023
OHCHR’s logic and moral duty
The lawyer then concluded, “The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has a moral duty to change the human rights narrative on unilateral coercive measures. There must be no apologetics.”
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has a moral duty to change the human rights narrative on unilateral coercive measures. There must be no apologetics.
— Alfred de Zayas (@Alfreddezayas) January 29, 2023
Venezuela’s 15% GDP growth
Despite the sanctions and unilateral measures against Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro recently emphasized that the country had a 15% growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022.
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“Venezuela has had growth in 2022, above 15% of GDP: the highest growth in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the president pointed out.
He also stressed that Venezuela has the capability to develop what its citizens need; he thus urged everyone to join efforts for the total recovery of the productive apparatus.
(RedRadioVE) by Dubraska Esteves, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/KZ
