[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
In the case of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the special rapporteur for freedom of expression, we are part of an international body, which is the Organization of American States, and, as such, we are subject to the protections afforded to international officials.
Both the Inter-American Commission and the rapporteur have requested to visit the country to observe the human rights situation and the freedom of expression situation on site, on the ground, but, regrettably, the Government of Venezuela has not accepted, has not granted us authorization to enter the country.
Therefore, we are working on observing the situation from abroad through reports that we receive from civil society, and the public hearings that we hold every three or four month to receive whistle-blowers and victims. We are also bringing forth specific cases before the inter-American human rights commission and court, so that, in these bodies, we can discuss directly with the Government of Venezuela. However, we have not been allowed to enter the country.