Amb. Bob Rae, the United Nations, and human rights
Bob Rae is Canada’s Ambassador to the UN. Here he answers questions about how Canada and other countries are collaborating to defend people from human rights abuses abroad.
Charles Burton discusses with him the plight of the Uyghurs in China; Paul Copeland discusses the Rohingya and the Burmese coup; and Calixto Avila discusses Venezuela.
Project Save the World is sponsored by Peace Magazine.
Tags: United Nations Video
In regard to Canada’s position on Venezuela’s human rights issues. I am in strong disagreement with Canadian Foreign Policy, which I believe is at the root of the problem. When Hugo Chavez came to power, 80 percent of Venezuelans lived in poverty. Nothing was being said of their human rights because American oil companies were pillaging Venezuela’s resources. Hugo Chavez reduced poverty by some 30 or 40 percent. The rightwing politicians of Venezuela with assistance from the CIA have not left any leaf unturned in an effort to sabotage Venezuela’s socialist government with their sponsoring of coup attempts, the confiscation of six oil refineries in the U.S., countless service stations. Add to that also not only the confiscation of a petro-chemical plant in Colombia but Colombian(and Canadian) participation in last years failed coup against Maduro. Tally the loss of income from these sources exacerbated by the collapse of the price of oil and now the pandemic in a mostly petroleum economy. Canada’s participation and support for the position of the Lima Group and foreign policy toward Venezuela is in a major sense to blame for the human rights issues of the Venezuelan people. Canadian foreign policy is subservient to whatever Corporate America wants.