The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) joined numerous prominent individuals and international organizations calling for the immediate release of ex presidential candidate and former governor of the state of Zulia, Oswaldo Álvarez Paz. In a letter sent to Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, the human rights watchdog declared Álvarez Paz a prisoner of conscience of his government. Last week, playwright and former Czech President Vaclav Havel -who also heads the HRF's...

Russian arms exports to Venezuela may total as much as USD 5 billion, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday, according to Russian news agencies. Putin visited Venezuela last week and pledged to sell more weapons to the country, but he provided no specific figures. Russian news agencies quoted Prime Minister Putin as saying that the new arms deals may exceed USD 5 billion, reported AP. On Friday, Russia agreed to lend Venezuela up to USD 2.2 billion for new arms deals. ...

A report by the human rights watchdog of the Organization of American States warns of a possible “threat to the life and physical integrity of the Jewish community in Venezuela” due to the Chavez regime’s violations of the political and human rights of its citizens. In a lengthy report publicized in late February, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) accused the government of Venezuela of fostering an atmosphere of “political intolerance” and...

Amnesty International urged the Venezuelan authorities to stop targeting government critics following a series of politically motivated arrests. At least three individuals seen as opposed to President Hugo Chávez were arrested and charged in March alone. "Charges brought for political reasons against critics are being used to silence dissent and prevent others from speaking out," said Guadalupe Marengo, Americas Deputy Director at Amnesty International. ...

Amnesty International on Monday welcomed the release of a member of the Colombian security forces held captive for almost a year by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The organization also urged the guerrilla group to put an immediate and unconditional end to kidnapping and hostage-taking. The FARC on Sunday released army soldier Josué Daniel Calvo, held since 2009, and is soon expected to release army sergeant Pablo Emilio Moncayo, held captive by the group...

Officers with the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin) arrested on Sunday an ETA leader at the Maiquetia International Airport, as he intended to enter Venezuela from Mexico. Marino Alvarado, coordinator of the Venezuelan Program on Education-Action in Human Rights (Provide), stated that the detainee's name is Walter Wendelin and is considered the representative of Batasuna, the political arm of the Basque terrorist organization ETA, for South America. Wendelin, of German origin,...

The arrest of two prominent critics in retaliation for public statements that were critical of the government is a serious blow to freedom of expression in Venezuela, Human Rights Watch said today. “To prosecute someone for speech, which should be protected under any standard of democracy, is a dangerous precedent,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “The violations of free speech are likely to be compounded by a trial that falls far...

For the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Cuban jails; for respect for the exercise, promotion and defense of human rights anywhere in the world; for the honor and courage of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, unjustly incarcerated and brutally tortured in Castro's prisons, who died while on a hunger strike denouncing these crimes and the lack of rights and democracy in his country; for respect for the life of those who risk death such as Zapata Tamayo to prevent Fidel...

Although the 40th Control Court of the Caracas Metropolitan Area late on Thursday released the president of opposition TV network Globovisión Guillermo Zuloaga, the media owner will have to stand trial for allegedly offending and slandering the Venezuelan President and for making false statements. During the court hearing held on Thursday at the Palace of Justice, Judge Jesús Alberto Villarroel prohibited Zuloaga from leaving the country, granting him conditional release. ...

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed "deep concern over the use of the punitive power of the State to criminalize human rights advocates, judicialize peaceful social protests, and persecute through the criminal system persons the authorities consider political opponents in Venezuela." The OAS human rights watchdog issued the statement in reference to the recent arrest of the former presidential candidate Oswaldo Alvarez Paz for statements he made to a TV...