The meeting of representatives of 33 countries, plus the European Union (EU) and the OAS, took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and the objective was to discuss the concern regarding the urgent situation in Venezuela and reiterate support for respect of democratic principles and the exercise of human rights
Thirty-three countries, in addition to the European Union and the Organization of American States, met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss the serious concern they express regarding the urgent situation in Venezuela and reiterate support for respect for democratic principles and the exercise of human rights.
In a joint statement, the Governments of Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, European Union , Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Kingdom of Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay , Peru, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay expressed that after almost two months since the elections and calls for electoral transparency from both Venezuelans and the international community still no answer.
The statement notes that international election observers have documented their serious concerns about the transparency and integrity of the electoral process, particularly the refusal of the National Electoral Council to publish detailed and independently verifiable polling center results.
The document signed by 33 countries states: “we remain deeply concerned about the widespread and continued repression, as well as the abuses and violations of human rights reported after the elections. These abuses include arbitrary arrests and detentions (including of children), deaths, denial of fair trial guarantees, and intimidation tactics against the democratic opposition and other members of civil society. In the context of the violent repression against members of the opposition, a politically motivated arrest warrant issued on September 3 against presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who according to publicly available electoral records received the largest number of votes in the July 28 elections, caused him to be forced to leave the country.
We call for an end to excessive use of force, political violence and harassment against the opposition and civil society.
In this meeting – held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the representatives of these countries, plus representation from the European Union and the OAS – requested the immediate return of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to Venezuela. and that the government respects and fulfills its commitments under International Law, “in particular as part of the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, providing safe passage to the six asylum seekers currently residing in the official residence of the Argentine Republic and allowing them to leave Venezuelan territory.
This joint statement expresses the need for “Venezuelan political leaders to initiate constructive and inclusive talks on a transition with guarantees for both parties in order to resolve the country’s political impasse and restore democratic institutions peacefully in accordance with Venezuelan law, as well as with the will of the people expressed through their votes on July 28.”
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