CARACAS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela on Tuesday welcomed an assessment by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, who a day earlier acknowledged the Venezuelan government was making progress in technical cooperation with her office.

Venezuela's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Jorge Valero, said his government was committed to continued collaboration with the UN agency "within the framework of constructive dialogue and cooperation."

According to Valero, since the signing in September 2019 of a letter of understanding between Caracas and the UN human rights body, progress has been spotlighted in several areas, including Venezuelan detention centers and in the "establishment of the follow-up mechanism to the human rights recommendations of UN authorities."

However, Valero warned, since then the U.S. government has stepped up its "siege" against the South American nation.

Washington has continued "to impose new unilateral coercive measures that are causing death and suffering" in Venezuela, said Valero.

Alena Douhan, the UN's special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, is scheduled to visit Caracas in early 2021, the diplomat said.

During the presentation of her office's annual report on Monday, Bachelet stressed that the validity of the letter of understanding with the Venezuelan government was renewed for a period of one year and could be extended further.

That would allow "the number of human rights officers" in Venezuela to triple, said Bachelet. Enditem

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