Statement of Venezuela at the UNGA72

Human Rights: If any country does not deserve to belong to the Human Rights Council, it is precisely the United States of America. It is the main violator of human rights, not only in its territory, if not throughout the world. Unjustified war, bombings on civilian population, clandestine jails with application of methods of torture, the imposition of unlawful unilateral measures against economies of several countries, various economic pressures, and migratory political recklessness.

Gender: The number of homeless people reaches 3.5 million [in the U.S.], 1.5 millions of nines and girls among them; 28% of people in poverty they do not have any health coverage; the maternal mortality rate has increased dramatically in recent years.

Gender: The USA is one of seven countries of the world that has not ratified the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women; paid maternity leave in the United States is not compulsory.

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: One in three indigenous women [in the U.S.] is raped in her life.

Iraq: A country [United States] that, in violation of the essential institutionalism of the United Nations, led the Iraq invasion in 2003, under the search for weapons of mass destruction, which they have never found despite the more than one million deaths that this bloody military operation has generated.

Russia/Iran/Cuba: In this regard, we condemn all unilateral actions against sister nations such as Russia and Iran, and especially the extension of the criminal blockade against sister Republic of Cuba which has been imposed by more than five decades and whose time reflects the clear demonstration of the new wave of American unilateralism.

Libya/Syria: Induced and bloody wars like the prefabricated wars against Syria and Libya, leaving only desolation in its wake. Fortunately, the heroic people and government of Syria, with the support of just international allies, is everyday closer to a definitive victory over the terrorist groups.

Palestine/Israel: Venezuela encourages the restart of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, whose process must lead to the achievement of a firm and lasting peace between the two States, recognizing the borders of Palestine as existing in 1967, in accordance with international law, and to the establishment of Jerusalem as its capital. We believe that the United Nations must assume a much more important role in the resolution of this historic and unjust conflict.

Colombia: We congratulate the implementation of the peace accords between the Government of Colombia and the FARC, to which lots of energy and effort went into by both Commander Chavez and President Nicolas Maduro. Likewise, we will continue to accompany and facilitate discussions between the Colombian government and the ELN, which is developing in the Republic of Ecuador.

Colombia: We express our concern about the increase in the production of drugs in our neighbor Colombia.