UN Rapporteur On Effects Of Sanctions Was Accused Of Pushing Regime Propaganda In Venezuela
Alena Douhan and Emmerson Mnangagwa
United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures and Human Rights, Alena Douhan has been accused of ignoring contributions made by opposition political parties in Venezuela.
Douhan, who arrived in Zimbabwe Monday, was accused of propping up Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s sanctions mantra in what they termed “regime propaganda” during her visit to that country early this year.
She is in Zimbabwe on a 10-day visit to ascertain the effects of sanctions imposed on individuals and specific corporates in the country.
In Venezuela, Douhan was investigating how sanctions imposed by the U.S., the European Union and other coutries had affected the citizens’ rights in the South American state.
Douhan concluded that the “unilateral sanctions increasingly imposed by the United States, the European Union, and other countries have exacerbated the above-mentioned calamities.”
However, the opposition in Venezuela said it regretted the outcome of Douhan’s final report. Opposition party Popular Will’s envoy to the UN Miguel Pizarro said in February:
We regret the rapporteur’s imprecisions and the lack of mention of subjects like corruption, inefficiency, political violence and the use of hunger as a tool of social and political control.
That is allowing oneself to be used for regime’s propaganda.
In Zimbabwe, Douhan is expected to meet government ministers, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda, and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum executive director Musa Kika told NewZimbabwe.com they expected to meet and engage her physically after sending written submissions and an informal online engagement.
Journalists have not been granted access to Douhan with Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi saying the media interviews could hinder her investigations.
More: NewZimbabwe
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