United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet will travel to Venezuela on Wednesday, according to a press release from her office. The rights commissioner is set to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Bachelet will be in Venezuela from June 19 to 21. During her visit, she will meet with members of the Constituent Assembly, as well as members of the National Assembly, which is led by Guaido. In addition, the commissioner plans to meet with the president of the supreme court and the nation's attorney general.
Bachelet will "engage with victims of human rights violations and abuses and with their relatives," as well as members of Venezuelan civil society, according to the press release.
The commissioner's visit comes as Venezuela is undergoing broad political upheaval. Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela in January, saying that Maduro's May 2018 election was rigged and unconstitutional. Since Guaido's declaration, dozens of nations have pledged their support for him, including the United States and the United Kingdom. The Maduro government receives backing from China and Russia, among other allies.
In recent years, Venezuela has grappled with high inflation, power blackouts, and widespread shortages of food and resources that have resulted in more than 3 million Venezuelans fleeing the country.
