Sobre este episodio
“The world has embraced the Responsibility to Protect—not because it is easy, but because it is right.” - Ban-Ki Moon, Former United Nations Secretary-General In this episode, we’re joined by Elisabeth Pramendorfer, senior human rights officer at the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, to discuss the increasing efforts by the international community to respond to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Last year, the United Nations Human Rights Council began an independent investigation in Venezuela, a Fact-Finding Mission to determine the extent of human rights abuses. One year later, the Fact-Finding Mission reported back to the Human Rights Council and published what they found: a 411-page report describing in excruciating detail the human rights abuses we’ve spoken about on this podcast, including thousands of harrowing cases of torture and extrajudicial executions carried out by Venezuelan security forces. While these revelations are based on facts we already knew or long suspected, this report marks the first time that the United Nations officially recognizes that the Nicolás Maduro and members of his inner circle are directly responsible for crimes against humanity in Venezuela. These atrocity crimes are the basis of a request made by interim President Juan Guaidó in a speech during this year’s the United Nations General Assembly just several weeks ago. This request is the activation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a United Nations doctrine that provides a framework authorizing measures for humanitarian intervention in a country by the international community, including through the use of force. What is the scope of the Responsibility to Protect? Can this global commitment lead to a solution that finally allows the international community a means to apply universal jurisdiction and put a stop to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela? Elisabeth’s focus at the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect is on Venezuela, so her knowledge of the country and the international legal precedent behind the R2P makes Elisabeth the perfect person for us to ask these incredibly important questions. Links: Elisabeth Pramendorfer | Twitter Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect | Twitter GCR2P | Official Website Detailed findings of the United Nations (UN) Independent International Fact-Finding on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Maduro’s Regime Commit Crimes Against Humanity. What Now? | Caracas Chronicles
