Chávez: Venezuela will leave the IACHR Court “out of dignity”

Venezuelan government labels the last ruling as “aberrant”

ALEJANDRA M. HERNÁNDEZ F. |  EL UNIVERSAL
Wednesday July 25, 2012  11:31 AM

The decision is final. Venezuela is pulling out of the Inter American Court of Human Rights (IACHR Court), following the orders of President Hugo Chávez.

On Tuesday evening, the Venezuelan leader lambasted the hemispheric court for “offending the dignity of the Venezuelan people” after issuing on July 20 a decision where the Venezuelan State is held “responsible for the violation of the right to the personal integrity and inhuman and degrading treatment against Mr. Raúl Peña Díaz.”

“Just a few days ago, the ineffable Inter-American Court of Human Rights again railed on Venezuela (…) and offended the dignity of the whole Venezuelan people (…) We are leaving this Court with dignity. We have no choice.”

With these remarks, the Head of State reiterated his decision to detach Venezuela from the IACHR Court, as he had expressed last April.

Raúl Peña Díaz was sentenced in 2008 to nine year imprisonment for his involvement in the attacks on the Embassy of Spain and the Consulate of Colombia in 2003. In 2010, he was released on probation. Later on, he sought refuge in the United States.

Twitter:@alejandramhf