[{"bbox": [158, 153, 1074, 365], "category": "Text", "text": "inclusive and transparent elections. The EU has and will continue to support civil society groups and international partners, to create spaces for dialogue, to monitor human rights and the improvement or rehabilitation of basic services. Thus, the EU intervention will take place in a sensitive political climate, with the clear objective of facilitating dialogue and inclusion of all parties involved. The action will **build on the EU's partnership with all Venezuelan stakeholders**, in coordination with EU Member States and other international partners and will contribute to promote dialogue, democracy, equality and the rule of law in the country. The EU intervention will thus complement the EU's political commitment to governance in the country."}, {"bbox": [158, 376, 1076, 537], "category": "Text", "text": "This Action is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the European Consensus for Development, the EU's Human Rights Country Strategy and the Gender Action Plan. The Action will contribute to SDG 10 Reduce inequalities, SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy, SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 13 Climate Action and SDG 5 Gender, Equality and Women Empowerment."}, {"bbox": [158, 549, 1074, 736], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action will continue to recognise the EU as a unique player working along a **Resilience and Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus** in Venezuela. The current protracted and complex nature of Venezuela's crisis re-enforces the importance of developing longer-term development interventions that complement humanitarian assistance as well as peacebuilding challenges. The action will support EU priorities in the areas of good governance and resilience with a special focus on strengthening human rights and improving access to basic services through community participation."}, {"bbox": [158, 747, 1074, 907], "category": "Text", "text": "With this action, the EU continues and reaffirms its commitment to support the functioning and objectives of the OHCHR office in Venezuela. Given the absence of political dialogue between the EU and Venezuela, the relative isolation of Venezuela in the Organisation of American States and the consequent limited impact of the latter's human rights mechanisms in the country, coupled with the lack of access to justice, makes the OHCHR office the only significant international mechanism of protection for victims of human rights violations."}, {"bbox": [158, 918, 1074, 1049], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU's intervention will also strengthen relations with civil society and local communities in a context of transparency and dialogue. The action will therefore be an expression of the EU's political **commitment to civil society and local communities**, by increasing its capacity to fulfil its role of counter-weight to the current administration in the areas of democracy, rule of law and provision of basic services."}, {"bbox": [184, 1065, 396, 1091], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2. Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [158, 1105, 396, 1132], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Short problem analysis:"}, {"bbox": [158, 1143, 1074, 1382], "category": "Text", "text": "During the 40th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Venezuela (25 January 2022), great concerns were expressed about the systematic and widespread **violations of human rights** in Venezuela, which led to the restrictions of the civic and democratic space. OHCHR has documented patterns of serious human rights violations, such as arbitrary detentions, torture and ill-treatment, sexual and gender-based violence, and extrajudicial executions in the context of security operations. OHCHR has also identified systemic issues that increasingly prevent the full realisation of fundamental freedoms and impair free participation in public life. These favour repressive action targeting the political opposition, a further shrinking of the democratic space, and curtailing of independent media."}, {"bbox": [158, 1394, 1074, 1502], "category": "Text", "text": "Lack of independence of the justice system, including its public defence, contributes to preventing effective access to justice and remedies for the majority of victims of human rights violations. Few file complaints for fear of reprisals and lack of trust in the justice system. There is also an excessive use of pre-trial detention linked to judicial delays."}, {"bbox": [158, 1513, 1074, 1591], "category": "Text", "text": "In spite of lack of trust in the justice system, victims, human rights defenders and organisations still wish to access justice mechanisms, even it is only to exhaust internal recourse mechanisms and be able to raise cases before international mechanisms."}, {"bbox": [976, 1690, 1082, 1714], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 6 of 26"}]