Venezuela

Venezuelans under Chavez have suffered a loss of basic human rights.

Venezuela is located in South America. East from Colombia, South of the Caribbean, West from the Atlantic Ocean and Guayana Esequiba and North from Brazil. The capital is Caracas.

Venezuela is presently under the repressive dictatorship of Hugo Chavez who has shown a marked intolerance for fundamental human rights and has funded insurgent activity outside of Venezuela's borders. Chavez has much control of oil revenues from Venezuela's state owned, state run oil monopoly. While Chavez in public criticizes capitalism, Chavez has sought to manipulate oil prices above $60 per barrel for Venezuela's largest customer, the United States.

The U.S. State Department's Report on Global Anti-Semitism also recently cited Venezuela for statements by "senior government officials supporting Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Islamic extremist movements" which "raised tensions and intimidated the country's Jewish community. There were several reports of anti-Semitic graffiti at synagogues in Caracas and two reported threatening phone calls made to Jewish community centers. In August, President Chavez cautioned citizens against following the lead of Jewish citizens in the effort to overturn his referendum victory. Anti-Semitic leaflets also were available to the public in an Interior and Justice Ministry office waiting room."