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Venezuela leaves Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

President Hugo Chavez said in May his administration was considering a withdrawal from the IACHR, which he described as ‘notorious’

CARACAS, September 6 (Itar-Tass) — Venezuela has officially notified the Organization of American States that it is pulling out of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights /IACHR/, Venezuelan media said Monday.

Secretary General of the Organization of American States Jose Miguel Insulza has expressed regret over the motion taken by the Venezuelan authorities. He said he still hopes the decision will be revised.

President Hugo Chavez said in May his administration was considering a withdrawal from the IACHR, which he described as ‘notorious’, saying the commission was acting out the instructions from Washington and organizing permanent verbal attacks on Caracas.

Soon after that, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro made a statement saying the IACHR was government by an international mafia. The very same mafia also controls the Inter-American Court for Human Rights.

He recalled that some countries of the Western hemisphere – Trinidad and Tobago – have already pulled out of the IACHR in the past.

Venezuela’s National Assembly supported Chavez’s decision to quit the commission. A total of 91 MPs voted in favor of the move and only 22 oppositionist MPs voted against it.