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The Failure of Human Rights Watch in Venezuela and Haiti
The way Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Haiti and Venezuela in its 2008 World Report reveals an underlying assumption that the U.S. and its allies have the right to overthrow democratic governments.[1]
The Venezuela section of the report said nothing about ongoing attempts by the U.S. to overthrow the Chavez government. It is a matter of public record that the U.S. funded groups who were involved in the coup of 2002 and continued to do so after the coup took place.[2]
Rather than denounce or even acknowledge U.S. destabilization efforts in Venezuela, HRW continues to complain about the non-renewal of RCTV's public broadcasting license. RCTV was one of big television networks that aided and abetted the coup. HRW objects that RCTV's involvement in the coup "was not proven in a proceeding in which RCTV had an opportunity to present a defense." It is impossible to imagine a non-farcical proceeding that would conclude otherwise, especially when coup's perpetrators thanked the private media, of which RCTV was a major part, for its help. Before the coup was reversed Vice-Admiral Ramirez Perez told a Venezuelan reporter:
"We had a deadly weapon: the media. And now that I have the opportunity, let me congratulate you."
Judging by it reports, HRW is completely uninterested in whether the broadcaster that replaced RCTV on the public airwaves, TVes, offers viewers a wider variety views or greater accountability. "Freedom of the Press Barons" to perpetrate coups appears to be HRW's concern, not freedom of expression.[3]
HRW also used the 2008 World Report to criticize, yet again, a judicial reform law that was passed by the Chavez administration in 2004. In contrast, HRW's summary about Haiti said nothing about the coup that ousted Jean Bertrand Aristide's democratic government in 2004; nothing about the subsequent murder of thousands of people who supported Aristide's Lavalas movement (the word "Lavalas" does not even appear in the summary); nothing about the fact that Haiti's police and judiciary remain stacked with appointees from the dictatorship of 2004-2006; nothing about Father Gerard Jean Juste, the most prominent political prisoner of that period, who continues to be hounded Haiti's legal system.[4]
Even if HRW's criticism of Venezuela's judicial reform law of 2004 were reasonable (and it isn't) it cannot deserve more attention than the coup that took place in Haiti and that led to a human rightscatastrophe.[5]
READ THE ENTIRE PIECE HERE:
Rather than denounce or even acknowledge U.S. destabilization efforts in Venezuela, HRW continues to complain about the non-renewal of RCTV's public broadcasting license. RCTV was one of big television networks that aided and abetted the coup. HRW objects that RCTV's involvement in the coup "was not proven in a proceeding in which RCTV had an opportunity to present a defense." It is impossible to imagine a non-farcical proceeding that would conclude otherwise, especially when coup's perpetrators thanked the private media, of which RCTV was a major part, for its help. Before the coup was reversed Vice-Admiral Ramirez Perez told a Venezuelan reporter:
"We had a deadly weapon: the media. And now that I have the opportunity, let me congratulate you."
Judging by it reports, HRW is completely uninterested in whether the broadcaster that replaced RCTV on the public airwaves, TVes, offers viewers a wider variety views or greater accountability. "Freedom of the Press Barons" to perpetrate coups appears to be HRW's concern, not freedom of expression.[3]
HRW also used the 2008 World Report to criticize, yet again, a judicial reform law that was passed by the Chavez administration in 2004. In contrast, HRW's summary about Haiti said nothing about the coup that ousted Jean Bertrand Aristide's democratic government in 2004; nothing about the subsequent murder of thousands of people who supported Aristide's Lavalas movement (the word "Lavalas" does not even appear in the summary); nothing about the fact that Haiti's police and judiciary remain stacked with appointees from the dictatorship of 2004-2006; nothing about Father Gerard Jean Juste, the most prominent political prisoner of that period, who continues to be hounded Haiti's legal system.[4]
Even if HRW's criticism of Venezuela's judicial reform law of 2004 were reasonable (and it isn't) it cannot deserve more attention than the coup that took place in Haiti and that led to a human rightscatastrophe.[5]
READ THE ENTIRE PIECE HERE:
For more information:
http://haitianalysis.com/2008/2/23/the-fai...
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Who has recommended Regime Change in Haiti and Venezuela ?
You may be obsessed with the Aristide and his party but most Haitians have moved on with their lives.
but the poor have not moved on.
The violence against the poor has not ended. One of the main lavalas organizers Lovinsky Pierre Antoinne was disapeared in August 2007!!!! Where is he? Lavalas is still being violently targeted by the elites and the ex-military. This is what regime change has brought for haiti.
The violence against the poor has not ended. One of the main lavalas organizers Lovinsky Pierre Antoinne was disapeared in August 2007!!!! Where is he? Lavalas is still being violently targeted by the elites and the ex-military. This is what regime change has brought for haiti.
Haiti is slowly dying of hunger. Why can't the U.N. help the Haitian government to start a vigorous agricultural program in the country to help the Haitians feed themselves?
And also help the government of Haiti to find a way to maintain law and order so that security can allow business investors to build factories that will create jobs for the people of Haiti.
Instead of giving the government just money, both the U.S and the U.N. should teach Haitians how to be self sufficient and encourage foreign companies to come in and invest and create jobs in the country. Until they do that, poverty will never end in Haiti and the people will continue to suffer greatly.
And also help the government of Haiti to find a way to maintain law and order so that security can allow business investors to build factories that will create jobs for the people of Haiti.
Instead of giving the government just money, both the U.S and the U.N. should teach Haitians how to be self sufficient and encourage foreign companies to come in and invest and create jobs in the country. Until they do that, poverty will never end in Haiti and the people will continue to suffer greatly.
Haiti is slowly dying of hunger. Why can't the U.N. help the Haitian government to start a vigorous Agricultural program in the country to help the Haitians feed themselves?
And also help the government of Haiti to find a way to maintain law and order so that security can allow business investors to build factories that will create jobs for the people of Haiti.
Instead of giving the government just money, both the U.S and the U.N. should teach Haitians how to be self sufficient and encourage foreign companies to come in and invest and create jobs in the country. Until they do that, poverty will never end in Haiti and the people will continue to suffer greatly. Money alone cannot save Haiti, they need technical know how to produce their own food and build their own farms to feed the country.
And also help the government of Haiti to find a way to maintain law and order so that security can allow business investors to build factories that will create jobs for the people of Haiti.
Instead of giving the government just money, both the U.S and the U.N. should teach Haitians how to be self sufficient and encourage foreign companies to come in and invest and create jobs in the country. Until they do that, poverty will never end in Haiti and the people will continue to suffer greatly. Money alone cannot save Haiti, they need technical know how to produce their own food and build their own farms to feed the country.
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