Venezuela joins the U.S. in obstructing human rights at the U.N?

The following is the first half of an intriguing press release:

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: IOR 41/057/2005
5 September 2005

Joint Statement by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam International and Global Call to Action Against Poverty

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam International call on a small number of “spoiler” countries to stop holding the UN World Summit hostage over crucial measures on human rights, security, genocide and poverty reduction. These governments have thrown negotiations on the final outcome text into crisis just days away from the biggest meeting of world leaders in history, September 14-16 in New York.

The three organizations, alongside the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, the world’s largest anti-poverty movement, said that the actions of a small number of countries threaten to sabotage the summit. The objections of some of these states appear intended to block adoption of a meaningful agreement, rather than to strengthen the current draft or address legitimate concerns. The leading “spoilers” vary on different issues, but together their activities are seriously weakening draft agreements on the Human Rights Council, poverty-reduction and preventing genocide despite support from the majority of governments for these measures.

Oxfam is very concerned that a small number of countries are determined to block an historic draft measure on governments’ “responsibility to protect civilians” that could stop future genocides such as Rwanda from ever occurring. Countries trying to block this include India, Egypt, Algeria, Pakistan, Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Syria and Russia. The United States is also trying to weaken the measure, and is now proposing to cut "the obligation" to protect and replacing it with "the moral responsibility".

I'm curious why Cuba and especially Venezuela are among those attempting to "sabotage the summit." I haven't been able to find anything online detailing their motives in any detail.

The version of the press release available on the Human Rights Watch website includes this editor's note:

Responsibility to Protect: This measure would involve governments agreeing that they share the responsibility to protect civilians at risk of genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes, when the government of the people concerned is unwilling or unable to do so. Countries trying to block the measure include Egypt, Algeria, Pakistan, Venezuela, India, Russia, Cuba, Iran, and Syria. The United States does not want to be obliged to act in all such cases. The majority of states including the African Group, the European Union, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Canada support endorsement at the Summit of the ‘Responsibility to protect.’

Some additional information comes from an Oxfam press release [US among governments that may thwart UN reforms, Wednesday, 31 August 2005] which reports that:

The NAM [Non-Aligned Movement] is fiercely opposing the current draft measure on the “responsibility to protect” civilians, despite the measure’s potential to save millions of lives, claiming it compromises the sovereignty of individual states. The NAM is reportedly also refusing to agree to reforms to UN management and personnel systems. The NAM is composed of 115 developing country governments which include Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Venezuela, Egypt, Cuba, Iran, and Syria. Russia is also among those governments keen to weaken wording on the responsibility to protect civilians.

Short of information to the contrary, this seems to be further indication that Venezuela still has much progress to make before it can be considered a genuinely revolutionary country. Of course, it's hardly surprising to see that the U.S. is obstructing justice at the U.N.

Venezuela updates

Some excerpts from the September 9, 2005 weekly news roundup compiled by the Venezuelen government funded Venezuela Information Office:

Wednesday’s Miami Herald featured a story on US policy toward Venezuela...
According to the article, the State Department form(sic) a Venezuela task force earlier this year, and completed a policy review shortly thereafter. The policy direction is centered on helping the Venezuelan opposition and other "civil society"
groups with money and other resources supplied by the National Endowment for
Democracy -- a quasi-private institution that obtains most of its money from
the U.S. Congress -- and the U.S. Agency for International Development,
according to the article.
***

Troops in Monagas state took control of a reportedly idle tomato processing
plant owned by a Venezuelan affiliate of H.J. Heinz Co earlier this week. The
Heinz seizure comes on the heels of a government takeover of a corn-processing
plant owned by Alimentos Polar, one of Venezuela’s largest food and beverage
firms. According to a statement by Heinz, one of the mitigating circumstances of
the plant’s suspension of processing was that the farmers in the region did not
honor their tomato supply contracts, choosing instead to sell them at market
prices. According to Reuters, Heinz said the seizure violated its right to
property and free trade guaranteed by Venezuela's constitution, as well as
due legal process. Heinz is currently soliciting meetings with government
officials in an effort to gain clarity on the situation. According to an
article in El Nuevo Herald, at least 700 agro industrial firms are being
reviewed by the government to establish their production levels, and whether
their management should be shared with workers.
***

In part one of a Financial Times series on risk management in international
business, Venezuelan Rum producer Ron Santa Teresa is singled out as a best
practise example in fostering ownership among local stakeholders, which will
lead to better and more proactive security management and vigilance. In 2003,
an armed gang attacked a guard at Ron Santa Teresa. The attackers were caught,
and given a choice by Santa Teresa's managers: complete a specially designed
training program and join the company's workforce, or go to jail. This ad-hoc
program was successful, and the company now offers intensive training sessions
that include work, attitude management classes, psychological evaluation and
team sports. Upon completion of the program, graduates can join the company, or
sign up for another six- to 18-month program of paid work andskills training for
preparation to enter the general labor market. According to the article, the
program has lowered crime by 40 per cent and dismantled three gangs entirely.
***

Late last month, at a the Meeting of Democracy-Promoting Foundations in
Stockholm, it was reported that Carl Gershman, head of the National Endowment
of Democracy (NED), had Eva Gollinger, a Venezuelan-American attorney who has
investigated that organization’s role in recent the destabilization of
Venezuela, kicked off of a panel discussion called “Supporting Regime Change -
Democratic Assistance or Intervention?” Gollinger was reportedly dropped from
the panel after Gershman exerted “strong pressure” on the event's organizing
committee. During the panel, Gershman is reported to have acknowledged doing
so, stating that Golinger’s presence on the panel was “obscene.”