Raising eyebrows-and anger-around the international community, Venezuela became the newest member of the United Nations General Assembly's Human Rights Council on Monday.
Venezuela won a seat on the 47-member human rights panel, which is one of the most prominent groups in the world advocating for the protection and promotion of human rights. China, Cuba and Russia are leaving the panel at the end of the year.
However, Venezuela's inclusion on the board came with much criticism from human rights groups and other nations, citing Venezuela's alarming record of human rights violations.
"It would be immoral to let Venezuela join if it doesn't improve its behavior," Venezuelan businessman Eligio Cedeño told the New York Times. Cedeño supported opposition politicians before he was arrested and charged with circumventing currency controls.
Cedeño was one of several activists who visited the United nations Friday to speak about human rights regarding Venezuela, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, all of which were up for consideration to join the council.
On Monday, Venezuela's U.N. Ambassador Jorge Valero told Fox News Latino that his nation's efforts to become a member of the council had "unleashed a truly unusual campaign."
"It's important to emphasize that Venezuela has committed itself to defend the sovereignty and liberty of people," Valerio said, alluding to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's past comments that Venezuela would oppose any actions or aggressions against allied countries such as Syria or Cuba.
The watchdog group Human Rights Watch has posted a scathing review of the practices of human rights in Venezuela under President Chavez, particularly the weakening of the country's democratic system of checks and balances during Chavez's tenure as president.
"Without judicial checks on its actions, the government has systematically undermined free expression, workers' freedom of association, and the ability of human rights groups to function," the group wrote, while noting that despite violent crime running rampant in Venezuela, law enforcement officials were either unable or unwilling to bring order to the country.
In a letter written to President Chavez Nov. 9 on the country's candidacy to the Human Rights Council, the group told Chavez that Venezuela fell short of acceptable human rights standards and that "urgent measures are needed" to reverse the polices of his administration that have undercut human rights protection in media freedom, judicial independence and civil society.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, blasted the decision to let Venezuela join the council, calling on President Obama to break its ties to the council and cut funding for it because they chose to accept countries with poor human rights records.
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