The UN Embassy in Venezuela expressed its concern over the Chavista bill, which seeks to harass NGOs.

The UN Independent International Mission to VenezuelaMade up of three lawyers, today expressed its concern A Bill to Regulate Non-Governmental Organisations It was approved by the country’s National Assembly on January 24, and means “the closure of civil and democratic space”.

“This regulation will impose a set of formal requirements on non-governmental organizations, both existing and in the process of being created, that will give the government permanent power to suppress them,” warned Chile, one of the mission’s experts. A statement. Francis Cox.

planned “Act on Supervision, Regulation, Operation and Financing of Non-Governmental and Related Organizations” It imposes additional requirements on the functioning of NGOs and other non-profit organizations.

At a time when human rights-promoting NGOs working in Venezuela (along with some expert groups) are gradually faced, the legal initiative aimed at UN work has been finalized. High limits to its operation, Included in the main aspect of its financing.

“Without access to international cooperation funds, many of these institutions will inevitably fail They disappear”, warns the work endorsed by the Human Rights Council in 2019.

According to Work, one of the most troubling aspects of the plan is the power it gives to the executive, particularly its new powers Control mechanisms that allow it to be supervised and sanctioned Aspects of NGOs, in his view, “threaten national security”.

“It exposes companies Permanent monitoring Even through possible police or intelligence control”, experts of the mission pointed out.

The text also includes restrictions on arbitrary activities, as it talks about permitting “political activities” or “institutions of national stability and republicanism.” with them.

They conclude that the bill is part of a broader pattern of restrictions on civic space. Threats, assaults and arbitrary arrests Against human rights defenders, trade unionists and journalists.

“This reflects an old strategy used in other countries and is another attack on civil society that silences or eliminates human rights,” Argentina said. Patricia TaptaWork Specialist.

Cox and Tapatta co-evolved with the Portuguese Martha ValinasThe president, a tripartite task force whose mission is to investigate the abuse of fundamental freedoms in Venezuela, has already issued several statements criticizing the regime of Nicolás Maduro.

(with information from EFE)

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