Who is Boris Johnson ?

Boris Johnson is a British journalist and politician member of the Conservative Party, son of Stanley Johnson and Charlotte Fawcett. Married to Allegra Owen (1987-1993) and later with Marina Wheeler (1993).

His full name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (he is 1.75 m tall) and was born on June 19th, 1964 in New York, United States.

His father was a conservative member of the European Parliament and an employee of the European Commission and the World Bank.

His birth was registered by the authorities of the United States and the British Consulate of the city, which granted him US and British citizenship. His father, a descendant of King George II of Great Britain, was studying Economics at the University of Columbia. With Turkish, French and German ancestors.

________________________________________________________________

ETON - Johnson entered to study at this exclusive college-boarding school thanks to the King's scholarship. He entered in September 1977 and immediately began using his middle name, Boris, instead of Alex. It was in this establishment where he developed, say those who know him, his eccentric personality. In addition, he abandoned Catholicism as a religion and became an Anglican. His school development was not very outstanding and, according to The New Yorker magazine, he delighted his classmates because he forgot the parliaments in the plays. Although his friends warned that he was not a rebel, but was "integrated into the tribe." Among his friends were the Iranian businessman Darius Guppy and the younger brother of Diana of Wales, Charles Spencer.
________________________________________________________________________


As a child he suffered severe deafness and had to undergo several surgical operations.

He attended his first studies at the Eton school, and then studied the classics at the University of Oxford.

After graduating he began working at a consulting firm and then joined The Times newspaper, where he was fired for inventing a quotation for an article. Later he would work at the Daily Telegraph and the The Spectator magazine.

Apart from English, he is fluent in French and Italian, and he speaks German and Spanish. In 1989, he was a correspondent for The Daily Telegraph in Brussels. His article "The Plan Delors to rule Europe" made him the favorite journalist of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

________________________________________________________________

OXFORD - In 1983 he entered the Balliol College of the University of Oxford where he studied the classics (one of the most interdisciplinary academic degrees because it concentrates the literature, history, philosophy, languages and archeology of Greece and Rome). He was a contemporary of some of the figures of the current Conservative Party, such as David Cameron (2010-2016), William Hague, Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt, his opponent in the collective elections. 
________________________________________________________________

He was a parliamentarian from 2001 to 2008 by Henley in the House of Commons, a conservative district of Oxfordshire County. During 2004, he was vice president of the Conservative Party, and in 2005, David Cameron, elected him to the position of Shadow Minister (spokesperson for the Parliamentary Opposition) of University Education.

On July 16th, 2007, he announced his intention to present himself as a conservative candidate for Mayor of London, a candidacy that was confirmed by the party on September 27th. He was elected on May 2nd, 2008, defeating the hitherto Mayor, Ken Livingstone, a leftist politician. He was re-elected to the position on May 4th, 2012 and was in charge of the successful Olympic Games that year.

In 2014, he recognized a tax claim on capital gains from the U.S. tax authorities, which he ultimately paid. In 2016, he renounced his U.S. citizenship.

________________________________________________________________

LONDON - In 2008, Johnson was elected mayor of London. His campaign was focused on reducing juvenile crime, improving public transport safety and replacing buses with a modern version of the Routemaster, which are the ones currently touring the British capital. In 2012 the Olympic Games were held in the city and Johnson became a kind of celebrity. Moreover, he was elected as the most popular politician.

________________________________________________________________


He publicly declared his admiration for Donald Trump since he became President of the United States, despite not agreeing with many of his policies.

Since 2015, he is a Deputy in the House of Commons for the constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in Great London.

Boris Johnson was one of the main promoters of Brexit, and after the European referendum on June 23rd, 2016 (most Britons voted to leave the EU), the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, appointed him as Foreign Minister of her government.

________________________________________________________________

DONALD TRUMP - The President of the United States was glad that Johnson was the new British Prime Minister and said he would do "a great job" and even suggested that he was "the British Trump." Although the relationship was not always good, the BBC network recalls that in 2015, when Johnson was mayor of London, Trump said there were parts of the British capital that could not be visited. Based on this, Johnson reacted angrily and noted that the comment showed "a pretty incredible ignorance."

________________________________________________________________

On July 9th, 2018, Boris Johnson presented his resignation as British Foreign Minister, deepening the crisis in the Government of Theresa May after the resignation on the previous day of the head of Brexit, David Davis. He resigned by refusing to support the Prime Minister's plans to negotiate a smooth break with the European Union.

On May 16th, 2019, Johnson confirmed that he would participate in the Conservative Party leadership elections following the resignation of Theresa May.

Boris Johnson, promoter of Brexit, became the leader of the Conservative Party on July 23rd, 2019, and on the 24th of the same month, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom succeeding Theresa May.

🐦 Follow Boris Johnson on Twitter

Source: Buscabiografias, La Tercera

United Nations Report: Human Rights in Venezuela

Crisis in Venezuela: The devastating conclusions of Bachelet's report on the situation in Venezuela

📖 Complete UN Report: Human rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

A report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of Human Rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was presented on July 04th 2019.

For her report, Michelle Bachelet, who visited the country between June 19th and 21st, interviewed more than 558 people, most of them victims of abuse and witnesses.

The government of Nicolás Maduro rejected Bachelet's conclusions as "not objective or impartial" and presents a "selective and openly biased view of the true situation of human rights" in the country.

"Corruption" in a country with 3.7 million malnourished

Bachelet concludes that in Venezuela the economic rights of citizens are also violated.

"The diversion of resources, corruption and lack of maintenance in public infrastructure, as well as underinvestment, have resulted in violations of the right to an adequate standard of living, among others, due to the deterioration of basic services such as public transportation and access to electricity, water and natural gas" says the report.

The right to food of Venezuelans is not going through its best, according to the conclusions of the report, which states that "the main food assistance program, known as 'CLAP boxes', does not cover the nutritional needs that are essential for people".

Content of CLAP Box - USD Cost in green

The government of Nicolás Maduro repeatedly denied that Venezuela suffered any humanitarian crisis.

In recent times it has begun to accept the help of organizations such as the Red Cross, but it maintains that the economic problems of the country are due to economic sanctions and "the criminal blockade" imposed by the United States.

The commission's report also addresses this issue and recalls that "the Venezuelan economy, especially its oil industry and food production systems, were already in crisis before any sectoral sanctions were imposed."

The figures it collects give an idea of ​​the magnitude of the problem. It estimates that between November 2018 and February 2019, "1,557 people died due to lack of supplies in hospitals."

Through a document released on July 4th, the government of Nicolás Maduro submitted 70 "observations" that account for what he considers to be errors contained in the Bachelet report.

The report includes the closure of dozens of print media, radio stations and television channels, as well as the increase in the arrests of journalists, including those of foreign journalists who ended up being expelled from the country.

When asked by journalists, Bachelet explained that there is no deadline to comply with the numerous recommendations made by his Office. This gives the government more time to try to overcome the countless problems it faces before the international community.

                           

                                Human Rights Watch: Torture of Presumed Conspirators (video)

Ten things you should know about the human rights crisis in Venezuela

Amnesty International - February 2019

The human rights crisis that has affected Venezuela for some years has destroyed the lives of millions of people. This is what you have to know:

1. Massive protests

The origin of most of the current disturbances in Venezuela can be traced back to March 29th 2017, when the Supreme Court of Justice, with the backing of President Nicolás Maduro, took control of the National Assembly, where the majority of the seats are of the opposition. That triggered massive protests between April and June that were suppressed by the Maduro government.

According to the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, in 2018 the record of 12,715 protests was reached throughout the country. These have continued in 2019, after the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, called mass demonstrations against Maduro. 

2. Excessive use of force

Between April and July 2017, more than 120 people died, some 1,958 were injured and more than 5,000 were arrested in mass protests. In the Amnesty report Nights of terror: Illegal attacks and raids on homes in Venezuela, the organization revealed how Venezuelan security forces and armed civilian groups endorsed by the government violently burst into people's homes to intimidate them and thus discourage them from participating in demonstrations or any other form of protest.

From January 21st to 25th, at least 41 people died in circumstances linked to the mass protests, all of them from bullet wounds. More than 900 people were arbitrarily detained.

3. A policy of repression

Although the state authorities have been applying a systematic policy of repression throughout the crisis, recent guidelines indicate that it is intensifying.

The recent investigation carried out by Amnesty International showed that Venezuelan security forces under Maduro had carried out targeted executions as their policy of repression had been extended. This situation especially affected impoverished areas of Caracas and other parts of the country, where the victims were later presented as "delinquents" killed in clashes with the authorities.

Of the 41 victims killed in the context of protests in early 2019, Amnesty International documented six extrajudicial executions by security forces backed by the State and excessive use of force by authorities under the command of Nicolás Maduro.


In the 2018 report This is not life: Citizen security and the right to life in Venezuela, Amnesty revealed that the security forces used lethal means, with the intention of killing, against the most vulnerable and socially excluded people in the country under the pretext of " fight crime. "

4. Youngers in custody

State authorities have been using the justice system to illegally harass those who think differently from them. According to the Venezuelan organization Foro Penal, between January 21st and 31st 2019, 988 people were arbitrarily arrested. Among them were 137 children and adolescents, of whom 10 are still in custody. Allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees have also been received. As of January 31st 2019, Penal Forum estimated that there were 942 people detained for political reasons. Although many have been released, most of them still face trial.

5. Civilians tried in military courts

People detained for participating in protests are often tried by military courts, which is contrary to international law. The people prosecuted face, among others, charges related to association with the intention of instigating the rebellion and attack on a sentinel, designed expressly for military personnel, which is another proof of the authorities' determination to silence dissent. According to Foro Penal, 817 people were tried in military courts between April 2017 and January 2019.

6. Three million refugees and migrants

It is estimated that more than three million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, the equivalent of 10% of the population, according to UN figures. Most have sought refuge in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Most mentions the denial of their rights to health and food as the main reason to leave the country. In other words, they flee to protect their life. Amnesty International has urged the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean to give Venezuelan refugees access to asylum procedures in their countries.

7. Repression of freedom of expression

There have been numerous reports of violations of the right to freedom of expression, such as the arbitrary detention and / or expulsion of at least 19 people working in the media, both Venezuelan and foreign. In January 2019, at least 11 journalists were detained in a single week, and many of them were expelled or deported from Venezuela, including Jorge Ramos and his team from the Univision TV network. Censorship and orders to close radio stations are widespread practice. The government closed 50 media outlets in 2017.

UNICEF / Santiago Arcos

8. The economic debacle

According to the National Assembly, in 2018 inflation was a shocking 1,698.488%. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) calculates that, in 2019, the annual inflation rate will reach 10,000,000%. Meanwhile, the official minimum wage in Venezuela is USD 6 per month. And these are the income of a large part of the population. The inevitable result is that many people can not afford basic products.

The shortage of basic supplies such as food and medicine has left millions of people living in alarming conditions that get worse every day. The measures adopted by the state authorities have affected salaries and the rights of working people. Until 2013, the Venezuelan authorities made great progress in the area of ​​economic and social rights, but this trend has been reversed categorically in recent years.

9. The government denies it

Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly denied that the country is experiencing a human rights crisis. What is more harmful, refuses to recognize the shortage of food and medicine. The few official public statistics on the welfare of the population contrast with the reports of independent agencies.

Given that the authorities deny that there is a shortage, they have not accepted the international humanitarian aid that has been repeatedly offered. This has a catastrophic effect, especially on the most vulnerable people.

10. Harmful US sanctions

On January 28th, the US government announced new measures that prevent the Venezuelan state oil company from exporting crude oil to the United States, while prohibiting US suppliers from selling the products Venezuela needs to process its heavy crudes. Given that the Venezuelan economy depends to a large extent on the export of oil and that the United States is one of the main trade partners of Venezuela, it is likely that these measures will make the life of the people living in the country even more difficult.

Source: United Nations, Amnesty International, BBC.