Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza.  (Photo: RT)

Caracas, October 6 (RHC)-- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza reported that the Human Rights Council of the United Nations approved -- with 14 votes in favor, 7 against and 26 abstentions -- a resolution that seeks to "strengthen the joint work" between the Office of the High Commissioner of the agency, Michelle Bachelet, and the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

"Venezuela's commitment to human rights is absolute," affirmed Arreaza, who celebrated the approval of the resolution despite the fierce pressure exerted by the United States, together with its satellite countries, to avoid it.

Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay voted against the resolution.  Given this fact, the Venezuelan foreign minister said: "It is strange to see the unexplained vote of some countries that claim to be human rights defenders, but do not support a resolution to strengthen human rights through the Office of the High Commissioner."

At the same time, Arreaza thanked the support of the "free and sovereign" governments that, in his opinion, are interested in the United Nations advancing policies to guarantee human rights, without being attacked or intervening in internal affairs using them "as a pretext."

The new resolution includes tripling the number of UN human rights officers in the country, who will be granted "greater legal autonomy."  It also typifies the formalization of an information exchange mechanism on individual cases, and the possibility of opening a permanent office in Caracas.

During the previous year, officials from the High Commissioner's office visited the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and the General Directorate of Military Counter-Intelligence (DGCIM), where they conducted interviews with 39 political prisoners.  They also visited 14 prisons in the country.