Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A constituent has written to me asking why there is so little attention given to the serious situation in Venezuela at the moment. I am sure some would be aware of the actions of the Venezuelan government and its security forces, which since 12 February have included shooting at crowds of unarmed people, including students involved in legitimate protests against the government; making unlawful arrests of members of the opposition, including relatives of constituents in my electorate; beating detainees; and promoting groups of armed pro-government civilians.

According to a recent Human Rights Watch report, the Venezuelan government began blocking transmission of a TV channel and threatening to prosecute news outlets for their coverage of the violence. Indeed, on 20 February President Nicolas Maduro began proceedings to take CNN off the airwaves. The suppression of the media and the erosion of the rule of law in Venezuela is a very worrying step in the wrong direction for this once prosperous country. In my view, the government-led violence against civilians and the control of the media have no place in a peaceful and democratic Venezuela. I would ask members of this place and the Australian government to give consideration to the serious unrest and instability in Venezuela, and call on the Maduro government to cease the violence against its own people, to restore the rule of law and media freedom, and to observe the principles of good democratic government.