For Canada to resume its role as a champion of human rights, we must find ways to reopen our embassies in global hotspots
Ben Rowswell is convenor of the Circle for Democratic Solidarity. From 2014 to 2017 he served as Canada ’s ambassador to Venezuela
The countries of Canada and Chile had shared international commitments to protect our citizens’ rights to political participation, among other human rights. Our diplomats were savvy enough to manage relationships with a wide diversity of political actors, both the regime officials who acknowledged these rights and the civil society actors working out how best to exercise them.
Canada has stood by Venezuela’s human rights defenders for decades. Former Ambassador Perry Calderwood initiated an annual human rights award, hosting ceremonies that drew activists of every conceivable stripe alongside President Hugo Chávez’s officials. During my tenure as ambassador to Venezuela, we branched out into the most deprived neighbourhoods, incorporating the concerns of the urban poor into this work.
Canada’s decision to recognize Mr. Guiadó had consequences. Without staff from Canada, our embassy remains closed. Caracas has joined the list of world hotspots where Canada is no longer present, including Tehran, Damascus and Kabul. Granted, the rise of digital diplomacy has expanded our ability to make statements about any country on Earth. But there is no substitute for physical presence when it comes to advancing human rights and supporting democracy. Our diplomats need working relationships with those who have power and with those on whose behalf it is exercised. When present on the ground, talented diplomats can find ways to engage both and support efforts to help the former become more accountable to the latter.
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