International
Venezuela fails in bid to renew UN rights council seat
AFP | Agnes Pedrero
China and Russia will lose a trusted ally in the UN Human Rights Council after Venezuela, which stands accused of serious violations, failed Tuesday to renew its seat.
“Great news that UN General Assembly rejected Venezuela’s re-election bid,” Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, tweeted after the vote.
Fourteen seats — nearly a third of the 47-member council — were up for grabs during Tuesday’s vote in New York, although there was only suspense around a small portion of them.
Rights council membership is divided between five regional groups, which typically pre-select the candidate countries for the three-year term ahead of the vote, leaving little room for competition.
There were however competitive races in two regions this year: Asia-Pacific, where there were six candidates for four seats, and Latin America and the Caribbean, where three candidates contested two seats.
In the latter group, Venezuela was running against Chile and Costa Rica.
‘Unfit for membership’
Human Rights Watch and other groups had urged nations not to vote for Venezuela, pointing to findings by UN investigators suggesting President Nicolas Maduro and other members of his government are behind crimes against humanity in the country.
“Venezuela’s vengeful assault on critics of the government makes the country unfit for membership in the UN’s top rights body,” Charbonneau said before the vote, warning that handing Caracas a seat “would undermine the UN’s credibility”.
When the count around the large UN General Assembly hall was done, Venezuela secured only 88 votes, falling short of the required 97-vote majority and far behind the 144 votes taken by Chile and 134 for Costa Rica.
The composition of the council matters, especially as swelling geopolitical tensions increasingly colour the debates and votes in the Geneva-based body.
Tuesday’s vote came on the heels of a historic council session marked by the first-ever attempts to push through resolutions targeting China and the situation inside Russia.
The council accepted the resolution brought by most EU countries calling for a special rapporteur to monitor the rights situation in Russia, amid concerns of domestic crackdown as Moscow’s war rages in neighbouring Ukraine.
But it narrowly rejected a more tepid text put forward by the United States merely asking for a debate on violations in Xinjiang.
The proposal came after a UN report cited possible crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western Chinese region.
‘Consistent ally’
While this was a heavy defeat for Western nations, and appeared to signal a shifting power balance in the council, observers suggest a few changes in the body’s membership could allow the next resolution targeting China to pass.
New council members with a “more robust and principled approach” to human rights crises could “greatly increase” the chances of a future initiative on China succeeding, said Raphael Viana David of the International Service for Human Rights.
Venezuela was staunchly in the ‘no’ camp on both those votes, and is among the nations that repeatedly slam attempts to call out abuses by specific countries at the council as a “politicisation” of human rights.
“Venezuela has been a consistent ally of both China and Russia at the council,” ISHR’s Tess McEvoy told AFP.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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