The Venezuelan president told European leaders to concern themselves about their own human rights violations. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro lectured European leaders on Thursday for their political inadequacy in fighting poverty and welcoming African migrants attempting to reach Europe. Maduro’s speech was specifically addressed to Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, who had criticized Venezuela for allegedly violating human rights.
“Mister Martin Schulz, you and your European Parliament, concern yourself about the increasing poverty in Europe. Concern yourself about the thousands of Africans who, because of your colonialism, are arriving and looking to catch even a little bit of air at European coasts,” Maduro told a cheering crowd at the International Congress Inventing the Democracy of the 21st century on Thursday. “And you persecute them and incarcerate them in concentration camps like Nazism did in Europe.”
The Venezuelan president further mocked Schulz, saying he probably doesn’t even know where Venezuela is located on a map. The attack comes one day after the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon also criticized the EU for its military plans to destroy migrant boats attempting to reach European borders.
On Tuesday Wikileaks released two classified EU documents detailing plans for military operations against Mediterranean refugee transport networks and infrastructure. Military action would involve destroying boats migrants use to enter European territory. A European Union internal analysis leaked recently stated the new military plan would bring “a risk to EU reputation” if “loss of life be attributed to … the EU force.” An estimated 20,000 people are recorded to have lost their lives in their attempt to reach European territory in the last two decades.
By telesur english
