The Organization of American States, in a rare and forceful critique of a member state, on Wednesday issued a scathing report that accuses Venezuela's government of human-rights abuses, political repression, and eroding the separation of powers among government branches in the oil-rich country.
The report, in more than 300 pages, offers a detailed analysis of shortcomings in areas including "political rights and participation in public life," "independence and separation of public powers," and "freedom of thought and expression."
In its sternly worded conclusion, it blames the government of President Hugo Chávez—already reeling from a recession and energy shortages that have undermined his popularity in recent months—for "aspects that contribute to the weakening of the rule of law and democracy."
The report wields significant heft because it bears the stamp of the OAS, a 35-member organization that groups most of the governments in the Americas. The Venezuelan government immediately protested the findings, but it can't easily dismiss a report that came from an independent intergovernmental commission as the work of political rivals.
An independent panel of the OAS, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, issues regular studies on countries around the region. A previous report on Venezuela came out in 2003; this one was delayed, in part, because the government refused to allow the authors, a panel of seven researchers from other member states, to visit the country.
The commission submitted questions to Venezuelan government officials and published rebuttals to its critiques in the final report.
Many of the issues highlighted by the report have been disclosed over the years by human-rights groups, academics, and government opponents in Venezuela.
The problems include the firing of judges critical of Mr. Chávez, the shuttering of critical media outlets, and the exertion of pressure on public employees, including those of state oil giant Petróleos de Venezuela SA, to support the government at the ballot box.
Venezuela blasted the report. Roy Chaderton, Venezuela's ambassador to the OAS, called it "superficial" and "a defamation" and accused the commission of lending too much credibility to charges made by the government's political rivals.
To those long critical of Mr. Chávez, a left-leaning populist now in his 12th year in office, the report is a welcome admission from a body that, like the United Nations, often is seen as have few teeth when it comes to matters of democracy, security, or human rights in its member countries.
The report also flies in the face of what critics of the Venezuelan government consider excessive indulgence of Mr. Chávez by other prominent Latin American leaders, many of whom, opponents say, refuse to criticize him, in part because of their strong commercial ties to Venezuela.
Mr. Chávez has been struggling to maintain his popularity at home amid severe economic, infrastructure, and social headaches.
In addition to the downturn and ballooning inflation, the government faces mounting criticism and public protests over chronic problems including power blackouts, soaring crime, and a perceived lack of investment in crucial sectors, including roads and the all-important oil industry.
"There's deterioration on all fronts," said Michael Shifter, director of the Andean program at the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank.
"The report won't help at a time when there is growing concern inside and outside the country about what will eventually happen in Venezuela," he said.
