Labor group: Venezuela gov’t must stop violence against foes

GENEVA (AP) — A panel of experts at the U.N. labor agency is calling on Venezuelan authorities to halt violence, threats and other forms of “aggression” against workers and employers who oppose President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

The three-person commission at the International Labor Organization, which unites states, employers and workers, made the call after an investigation was launched in March last year into a complaint initially filed by 33 employers’ delegates in mid-2015.

The call comes after the commission members met and interviewed complainants, witnesses and others from the public and private sectors both in Venezuela and in Geneva, where ILO is based.

A statement from ILO issued Friday said the commission urged the government “to ensure a climate free from violence, threats, persecution, stigmatization, intimidation or any other form of aggression.”