Living Secrets

Bachelet reaffirms support to Maduro; urges respect for human rights

"We hope that democracy turns out to be an essential value"

EL UNIVERSAL

Monday March 17, 2014 11:58 AM

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has reaffirmed that nobody, included individuals or countries, is entitled to overthrown a legitimate elected president through violence. Bachelet's comment came with respect to a wave of protests staged in Venezuela against President Nicolás Maduro in recent weeks.

Amidst reports of torture and violation of dissenters' human rights, Bachelet told Reuters, "We hope at all times for the respect of human rights and the Constitution, and hope that democracy turns out to be an essential value."

Bachelet noted that during the meeting of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) held on Wednesday in Santiago de Chile, foreign ministers weighed alternatives to help Venezuela overcome the crisis. "This is why a joint declaration was produced and a foreign ministers committee will be set up to travel to Venezuela before April 1," Efe reported.

Venezuela protest 2014 Caracas cops clash with protesters

Colombia: We will never support a violent solution

Colombia's foreign minister advocates resuming stability in Venezuela

EL UNIVERSAL

Monday March 17, 2014 01:25 PM

In the wake of the crisis Venezuela is currently facing, Colombian Foreign Minister María Ángela Holguín has remarked that her country does not support any solution out of the democratic framework, and stood for the reestablishment of stability.

"We have called for the respect of human rights, the pursuit of peace and dialogue, and the preservation of all democratic rights, seeking that Venezuela will be able to restore stability, which is fundamental for its people, as it is for us and the whole region. We will not support any solution out of democratic framework," Holguín told daily newspaper El Tiempo as DPA reported.

Colombian foreign minister stressed that her country deems it necessary to "respect a government that has been elected by its people."

The Venezuela protest, 10 Downing Street

"Diffuse protests" do not lead to changes in Venezuela

Experts held meeting on protests at Andrés Bello Catholic University, Venezuela

JAVIER ALFREDO MORENO SUCRE | EL UNIVERSAL

Tuesday March 18, 2014 07:12 AM

Scholars and specialists in social conflicts gathered at Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), Caracas, at a forum on the Venezuelan crisis. The experts concluded that "protests taking place in the country need to be reoriented if there is a true interest in shifting the way of life of all Venezuelans."

Luis Vicente León, director of research firm Datanálisis and a panelist at the forum, entitled "Balance and assessment on protests," asserted during his presentation that even though 62% of the population believes the Venezuela's state of affairs is unstable; it is also true that 60% rejects barricades and violent actions.

"If people organizing protests over the situation of Venezuela does not find a way through which they can express themselves and be able to include Government supporters, they will just bring about a collective fatigue, which will not lead to positive results; they will be discouraging, instead," León said.

For his part, Luis Pedro España, a sociologist and Professor at UCAB, commented that "there are many reasons for protesting, a hundred, but they (demonstrations) must be specific; there must be clear ideas and the course must be defined. Diffuse protests are insufficient to achieve the changes the society needs," he claimed.