The Latest Howlers From Human Rights Watch on Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

The Latest Howlers From Human Rights Watch on Venezuela
By Joe Emersberger
Sunday, August 05, 2012

Predictably, election season in Venezuela has come with yet another voluminous report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that mostly rehashes the debunked claims of its 2008 report. Over a hundred scholars, including Noam Chomsky, signed a letter to HRW protesting the shoddiness of that 2008 report.

http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4051

HRW’s response to that letter was underwhelming:

http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4105

HRW bowed out of the debate after the devastating reply to its response

http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4106

~snip~
Hundreds of Peasant Murders Ignored

HRW's 2012 report goes back as far as 1998 to cite cases of political violence and impunity. It insinuates that the Chavez government is responsible for the impunity the perpetrators have enjoyed. However, the worst political violence in the country since 2001 has victimized hundreds of peasant activists murdered by hired gunmen. The crimes strongly implicate wealthy landowners who vehemently oppose land reform. The impunity enjoyed by the gunmen and their wealthy bosses contradicts HRW’s relentless depiction of the judiciary and police as being under the thumb of Chavez. It is disgraceful that these crimes and their implications would be ignored. [4]

Imaginary Purity of Venezuela’s Foreign Funded NGOs

HRW makes the laughable claim that, despite receiving US funding, there is “no credible evidence that the independence and integrity” of any Venezuelan human rights NGOs has been compromised. The head of Sumate, one of HRW’s favorite Venezuelan NGOs (and also the US government’s) signed the infamous Carmona Decree which abolished all democratic institutions in Venezuela after a short lived coup in 2002.That fact alone makes a bad joke of HRW's words.

More:
http://www.zcommunications.org/the-latest-howlers-from-human-rights-watch-on-venezuela-by-joe-emersberger

[polly7]

1. Thanks for the links! nt.