Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am tabling deals with the human rights situation in Venezuela, a situation that many members of Parliament have spoken about over the years.
The petitioners say that the current government is aware of crimes against humanity by the Venezuelan government and has created a family-based humanitarian program for Colombians, Haitians and Venezuelans suffering under current country conditions. The petitioners note that Canada was one of six countries that submitted Venezuela to the ICC, denouncing crimes against humanity as defined by the Rome Statute.
The petitioners note that several international organizations, including a Canadian NGO, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, led by former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler, have recognized the unjust incarcerations, torture, forced disappearances and political persecution—