VENEZUELA
Military Exports from Canada (1990-1999)
Year
Military Value of
Equipment Military
Types Exports
1999
10 5,125,499
1998
10 523,106
1997
10,13 4,689,144
1996
10,13 723,686
1995
10,13 366,342
1994
10,13 301,848
1993
10,13 316,645
1992
10,13,14 581,021
1991
10,13 332,059
1990
10 8,225
Total $12,967,575
Sources: Export of Military Goods from
Canada, Annual Reports 1990-1999. Published by the Export Controls Division,
Export and Import Controls Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, Government of Canada. Web site: <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/~eicb/>
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Examples of Canadian Military Exports (1990s)
Bell Helicopter Textron
• 5
Bell 412 helicopters (National Guard)
$50
million (1995)
Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 1995
CHC Helicopter
• Helicopter
flight training program
Value
unknown (1999)
DRS Flight Safety
• Frigate communications (subcontract)
$4.2 million (1999)
Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 2000
Orenda Aerospace
• Repair
F-5 fighter aircraft engine parts
$7
million (Jan.1996 – Jun.1997)
Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 1997
Para-Ordnance Manufacturing Inc.
• Handguns.
Value
unknown (date unknown)
Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 1999
Wescam Inc.
• Dual
sensor camera systems for Bell 412 navy helicopters
Value
unknown (1998)
Ploughshares Monitor, June 1999
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Canadian Government Promotes Military Exports
Military Trade Show
The Canadian Embassy in Venezuela encouraged
Canadian exporters to attend AeroExpo 2000, which was promoted on their web
site as “Defense - Venezuelan Aviation Trade Show.” which was organized by
Venezuela’s Air Force.
Source: “Events and Activities, Canadian
Embassy in Venezuela.” <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/caracas/frame-e.htm?trade-e.htm>
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Human Rights Violations (1999)
Col. Hugo Chavez Frias led a failed military
coup in 1992. He became President after elections in 1998. Congress failed to approve legislation to
strengthen indigenous rights and prohibit torture. The government suspended 120
judges to reform the notoriously inefficient judiciary which was subject to
political influence. NGOs warned of
increased political power to the military which was not prohibited from
intervening in political affairs.
Killings, torture and impunity
At least 100 were reportedly killed by police
and military. Some 50 died in circumstances suggesting extrajudicial execution.
Reports of torture and ill-treatment by police continued. Many, fearing reprisals, did not file complaints. About 400 prisoners were killed, mostly by
fellow prisoners. Some were due to
attacks by guards. Physical conditions
were often cruel, inhuman and degrading.
Scores reportedly died due to inadequate sanitation and medical
care. Impunity continued for those
responsible for torture and extrajudicial executions. In November, Venezuela assumed responsibility for 37 deaths by
security forces in 1989.
Asylum-seekers
The authorities did not give 3,700 Colombians
asylum from offensives by Colombian
military and paramilitaries. All were
returned to Colombia: some 100 were returned forcibly.
Source: Amnesty International Report 2000.
<http://www.amnesty-usa.org/ailib/>
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Labour Rights Violations (1999)
As part of a planned state of emergency, the
National Constituent Assembly (NCA) considered dissolving the union
confederation and federations. The
decree would have revoked the mandates of union executive committees, union
assets would have gone to the NCA, union leaders would not have been allowed to
go abroad and authorities would run union elections. After protests, the decree was withdrawn.
Existing
law gives an excessively detailed list of the duties and aims of unions. It requires non-nationals to live in
Venezuela for more than ten years before holding union office. Sanctions for anti-union discrimination and
interference are too low to be deterrents.
Unions must represent a majority of workers in an enterprise before
negotiating a collective agreement.
Source: Annual Survey of Violations of Trade
Union Rights (2000), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
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Child Labour Violations
• About
1.2 million children work, mostly as street vendors. (U.S. Dept. of State,
Human Rights Report, 1999)
• 26%
of domestic workers were under 10. (ILO-IPEC CD-ROM, 1999)
Trafficking and Slavery
• Abducted, sold or lured by false promises,
children trafficked from Ecuador work as virtual slaves as street vendors,
domestics and prostitutes.
(E.Gutierrez, IPS, Jan. 1998)
• In
1998, two Ecuadorian girls aged 14 and 17 escaped to tell police of 200
enslaved kids. (ECPAT International)
Source: <http://www.globalmarch.org/worstformsreport/world/venezuela.html>
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TAKE ACTION!
Inter-Church Cttee on Human Rights in Latin
America
ICCHRLA reminds the Canadian government of
moral and ethical costs of trade agendas and works with Latin American
churches, human rights groups and grassroots organizations.
Contact: ICCHRLA, 129 St. Clair Ave. W.,
Toronto, ON, M4V 1N5. Email: <mailto:icchrla@web.net>
Web: <http://www.web.net/~icchrla/index.html>