Security Council that this year Venezuelan security forces
``systematically resorted to the arbitrary detention of more than 5,000
protestors.''
A more recent report by Human Rights Watch and Foro Penal, a
Venezuelan nongovernmental organization, documents how Venezuelan
security forces have subjected political opponents to ``torture
involving electric shock and asphyxiation.''
In response, Luis Almagro, the Secretary General of the OAS, has
convened a series of hearings to receive testimony to ascertain whether
members of the Venezuelan Government have committed crimes against
humanity that should be referred to the International Criminal Court
for prosecution. These efforts deserve our attention and our support. Against this alarming backdrop, we require no explanation for why the
United States has received more asylum requests from Venezuela than
from any other nationality for 2 years straight. These challenges will only grow as Venezuela's economy continues to
collapse. The country is in a selective default on its bonds.
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asylum requests