Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I also want to welcome our two witnesses today, Lesley Burns and John Graham. I had the good fortune in my previous life to host and welcome John Graham when he came and delivered a major human rights lecture at the faculty of law at McGill University.
I have several questions. I'll try to be brief in posing them so as to allow time for the answers.
First, Lesley, you mentioned the case of Leopoldo López and that, as we meet, the matter is before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. How effective have the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights been in the oversight of human rights abuses in Venezuela? That's the first question.
On my second question, I made mention, as well, about the enactment of legislation in effect interdicting any support for human rights organizations or civil society within Venezuela by foreign governments and that this will have an impact on the Canadian role in that regard. In other countries where that has been attempted, such legislation has been challenged as being a violation of freedom of assembly and association. Is there a role for such a challenge and also within the frameworks of the Inter-American Commission for that purpose?
My last question, if there's time for a response, has to do with the Venezuelan-Iranian connection. I bring that up because Venezuela did not support the United Nations Security Council resolution respecting the application of sanctions against Iran, in the matters of both its nuclear threat and its human rights threat. On the contrary, it has actually been in breach of that resolution in its increase of trade and investment with Iran. As well, there have been reports of an increasing Hezbollah influence in Venezuela. So if there's time, please comment on that as well.
Thank you.