Media place children's rights advocates against the ropes

www.vheadline.com Posted: Monday, February 24, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Print & broadcast media have criticized children’s rights specialists meeting in Caracas to draw up a declaration outlining children’s rights situation in Latin America.  According to reporters, when delegates were asked to provide details and concrete analysis of supposed children’s rights violations in Venezuela during the national stoppage, they were only able to supply regional statistics.

The event was organized by the Education, Culture & Sports (MECD) Ministry, International Defense of Children (IDC), UNICEF, Inter American Institute of the Child (IAIC) and the Central American Parliament. IDC president Jorge Vila says 3 million children in Latin America are outside the school system.

Delegates have called on national institutions to place children first and undertake actions to protest children’s right to education, health, physical and psychological integrity.

Venezuelan children rights groups and UNICEF-Venezuela have failed to reply to reporters' jibes that alleged HR abuses against the right of education during the stoppage were bogus.