On 12 February 2021, Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights, released a preliminary report condemning international sanctions against Venezuela. Over five years since these sanctions were first introduced, the country faces a desperate humanitarian crisis whilst the Maduro regime remains in place, calling into question the morality and efficacy of such measures.

VENEZUELA UNDER EMBARGO

Many major world powers have implemented coercive measures against Venezuela in response to public corruption, human rights abuses, and antidemocratic actions taken by the Maduro government. The US had led the most severe sanctions, which began when President Obama declared a national emergency and implemented targeted sanctions in 2015.

The 2018 Venezuelan presidential election was shrouded in controversy and placed the country in political turmoil amid a battle for presidency between incumbent Nicolás Maduro and the leader of the National Assembly Juan Guaidó. The Trump administration was one of the first to officially recognise Guaidó as interim president in January 2019 and proceeded to embark on a campaign of “maximum pressure” designed to loosen Maduro’s “illegitimate” grip on power. In August 2019, Trump scaled-up sanctions and authorised a full economic embargo against Venezuela. 

Sanctions introduced by the EU in 2017—and upheld by the UK post-Brexit—have prohibited the admission of listed individuals in member countries, banned the export of certain goods such as arms and telecommunications equipment, and frozen Venezuelan assets in the territory of the EU and the UK. Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, and Panama among other countries have also since frozen the assets of Venezuelan officials.

ECONOMIC AND HUMANITARIAN IMPACT

Venezuela was once the largest economic power in Latin America but now finds itself in a dire situation amid consistent economic decline since 2014. This has been exacerbated by sanctions on core industries of oil, gold, and manufacturing and the freezing of Central Bank assets. Douhan reports a 99% decline in government revenue compared to pre-sanction levels which has led to a near-complete breakdown of public services due to insufficient funding.

In an interview with The Grayzone, Douhan states: “Before the Blockade, Venezuela was spending 76% of its oil revenues on social programs. Now it can’t even invest 1% of that.” Douhan argues that sanctions on the economic activity directly impede the government’s ability to guarantee the human rights of its population, which has had a “devastating impact on the whole population of Venezuela”.

Services are further strained by rising poverty levels and a workforce depleted due to the dramatic reduction in public sector salaries from US$150-500 in 2015 to US$1-10 in 2020. This has led to a crisis of human rights in the country. Among the human rights compromised are:

• The right to food—over 50% of food consumption has been impacted by sanctions on imports which has led to over 1/3 of its population becoming acutely food insecure;

• The right to water—water services have been severely disrupted by staff shortages and lack of equipment, and the average household now has just a few hours of running water once or twice a week;

• The right to education—a severe decrease in government funding has resulted in a lack of necessary supplies and school meals, endangering the right to education and is worsened by electricity and internet shortages; and

• The right to health—quality and availability of healthcare services has deteriorated amidst extreme staff shortages and absence of essential supplies and equipment. Maternal and infant mortality rates have risen as well as mortality rates from severe diseases.

THE THREAT OF SANCTIONS ON THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 

Speaking at a virtual session of the UN Human Rights Council on 22 February 2021, Maduro claimed that unilateral sanctions have resulted in a US$30 billion loss in potential oil revenues, which has impeded the government’s ability to respond to COVID-19.

Douhan reports that repeated discussions have failed to negotiate the release of Venezuelan assets frozen in US, UK, and Portuguese banks, totalling around US$6 billion. The proposed release of this money would be used for the purchase of vaccines and medicines and would be monitored by the United Nations Development Program and the Pan American Health Organization. However, opposing governments have refused to sign any related agreements.

A group of Democrats in the US Congress this month voiced concerns over the humanitarian impact of sanctions during the pandemic and called for a review of the sanction protocol as a whole.

THE FUTURE OF SANCTIONS

Douhan’s preliminary report ultimately concludes that unilateral sanctions “constitute violations of international law” such as the sovereign equality of Venezuela. She recommends an end to the state of emergency imposed by the Obama Administration and a lifting of all sanctions on the public sector. Calls for a review of sanctions have also gained traction in media sources such as The Washington Post and DW.

It is unclear now which direction will the Biden Administration take. However, there have been certain changes. On 2 February 2021, sanctions affecting operations on Venezuelan ports and airports were lifted, signalling a potential policy change.

Meg is a final year student of German and Politics at the University of Bristol. She is particularly interested in international relations and bringing light to the human rights abuses perpetrated by governments around the world. Her goal is to work in advocacy after university.

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