The visit helped end the 18-day hunger strike conducted by 21 students to protest the government's treatment of political prisoners. According to the protesters, more than 40 people have been imprisoned in Venezuela because of their political beliefs.

"We strongly believe that this action taken by the OAS is a positive step given the seriousness of the allegations made by the protesters—which seemed to have been ignored by the government—and the fact that the lives of the hunger strikers were at risk," newly-elected B’nai B’rith President Dennis W. Glick said.

The OAS delegation listened to the strikers' demands, held telephone conversations with some of the people whose rights, according to the students, were being breached, and returned to Washington later that day to report to Insulza.

"It would be highly desirable for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to be allowed to visit Venezuela in order to conduct a thorough and serious investigation,” said B’nai B’rith Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin. “The IACHR should be able to visit any country in the hemisphere where human rights and basic freedoms are allegedly threatened."

With a strong presence in Latin America for more than 80 years, B'nai B'rith International has worked to advance human rights and tolerance and to help those in need across the region.