CONFIDENTIAL
VENEZUELA
Report by HM Embassy, Caracas
General Observations
There is reason to suppose the relatively encouraging situation will continue. All the major political parties are committed to uphold human rights and democracy flourishes here. However, occasional violations of human rights do occur, and there is reason to believe these are usually hushed up or when action is taken the culprits are quietly let out of the back door soon afterwards, especially if they have powerful patrons as is often the case. Venezuela has a violent and repressive history and some legacies of the non-democratic past still remain.
Right No.
(i) There are a few isolated cases
of extremists jailed but not yet tried for alleged terrorist activity. Their numbers are very small and their guilt is widely assumed.
(ii) The use of torture is fairly frequent
but it is not officially sanctioned.
(iii)
A socialist leader died under torture by secret myrmidons earlier this year; the alleged culprits are on trial for murder.
Slavery does not exist.
(iv) In theory freedom of speech is_complete;
in practice it is nearly so.
The
standards of the press vary but much of the more popular press is venal and of poor quality. Media outlets also probably trim their sails a little in response to threats of high-handed government action, eg a TV station was arbitrarily taken off the air for 24 hours some months ago for breaking a government request not to publish news about a kidnapping.
(v) In theory independence of the judiciary
is total; in practice the ruling AD party dominate the Supreme Court and the judic- iary's independence is womewhat suspect,
/as
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CONFIDENTIAL