Monday, September 4, 2017

Moral Corruption of the United Nations: Normalizing Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro

"...[T]here arises a question as to whether those large, serious compromises do not have their origin and roots in precisely these tiny and very often more or less logical compromises." - Vaclav Havel, October 12, 2009, Forum 2000 conference

Time to send a message to the United Nations and Nicolas Maduro
Reuters reported on September 4, 2017 that "President Nicolas Maduro, accused of trampling on human rights and democracy in Venezuela, is expected to address the opening day of a three-week U.N. Human Rights Council session on Sept. 11." The non-governmental organization "UN Watch expressed 'shock' that the U.N. Human Rights Council is allowing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro to open its session on Monday, September 11, 2017" and is circulating a petition urging the United Nations to suspend the Maduro regime's membership on the UN Human Rights Council. 

Human Rights defenders need to stand up and demand that the U.N. Human Rights Council regains its moral legitimacy by refusing to normalize Nicolas Maduro who is now engaged in destroying democracy in Venezuela, murdering young Venezuelan democrats, and systematically denying human rights in the South American country.

Three times in 2016 the United Nations engaged in acts of moral corruption when the international body first on December 1, 2016 at the United Nations General Assembly held a moment of silence for Fidel Castro in New York City. Five days later on December 6, 2016 at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva Switzerland another moment of silence was held for Fidel Castro ignoring the dictator's terrible human rights record. Two weeks later on December 20, 2016 the General Assembly of the United Nations once again paid tribute to the dead Cuban tyrant. Paying homage to a murderous dictator multiple times demonstrates the moral crisis engulfing the United Nations. 

We must rescue the UN Human Rights Council from the moral corruption it has descended into while at the same time restoring the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an instrument to benefit victims of repression and place human rights violators on notice.

Inviting Nicolas Maduro to open the session of the UN Human Rights Council as Venezuela burns must be denounced and rejected by all people of good will. Please sign the petition being circulated by UN Watch to suspend Venezuela's membership on the UN Human Rights Council.




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