---

Venezuela

Answer

Corruption is a problem in Venezuela, as the Venezuelan government acknowledges. Venezuela was ranked 162 of a total of 179 in the Transparency International corruption perception index for 2007 (down from 138th place in 2006).The EU election monitoring mission to Venezuela for the 2006 presidential elections found that"““the electoral process complied in general with international standards and with national legislation as regards the management of the electoral administration””."We encourage the Government of Venezuela to act on all of the mission's recommendations for future campaigns, including during the referendum on constitutional reform on 2 December, so that the people of Venezuela can take fully informed decisions in a democratic and safe environment.As in all countries, we monitor the human rights situation in Venezuela closely. We are encouraged by the positive steps taken by the Venezuelan government to improve the basic rights of the poorest sections of society, including in medical care. There are however a number of areas of concern, including difficult conditions in Venezuelan prisons and the deteriorating crime situation in major cities, with criminals too often enjoying impunity. Along with EU partners, we have also called for the Venezuelan government to uphold freedom of speech and freedom of the press as essential elements of democracy.Civil society has a vital role to play in ensuring the greatest possible protection of human rights and democratic values, and we will continue to work with them and the Government of Venezuela to achieve these objectives.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

467 c747-8W; 165490

Session

2007-08

Related items

Venezuela
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Written questions
House of Commons

Subjects

Politics and government Venezuela

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk