Venezuela regrets bias in UN High Commissioner's remarks

Venezuelan Ambassador to UN in Geneva, Jorge Valero, defended Venezuela's human rights record and deplored the biases expressed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Al Hussein.

Valero regretted Al Hussein's echoing of the smear campaign against Venezuela mounted by the international media and "hatched by imperialist interests."

In his speech, Valero stressed that 'human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected in Venezuela.

"Everyone can freely express their own viewpoints. Peaceful declaration is a constitutional right."

The diplomat denied that there were any restrictions and clarified that freedoms "are scrupulously respected since they are inherent to our leading democracy."

He also recalled President Nicolas Maduro's proclamation "dialogue is peace".

In response to Al Hussein's pronouncement in favour of the release of alleged political prisoners, Valero stressed that Venezuela does not have this sort of prisoners, which has been already proven by the High Commissioner's office.

In this regard, he said that following the attempted coup against the Bolivarian Government, and the criminal and terrorist violence occurred in 2014, some people are being prosecuted.

"They are charged with 43 murders and with the destruction of public and private assets of over US$ 10 billion. All are guaranteed the right to defense and due process," he said. --Bernama