The governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay and Uruguay issued a joint statement in which they demanded “the immediate cessation of harassment, persecution and repression against political and social activists of the opposition” that occurs in the current electoral process in Venezuela.
The governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay and Uruguay issued a joint statement demanding “the immediate cessation of harassment, persecution and repression against political and social activists of the opposition” carried out by the administration of Nicolás Maduro during the current electoral process in Venezuela.
“We have followed with concern the harassment and persecution of leaders and supporters of the Venezuelan opposition, as well as members of civil society, including the arbitrary detention of numerous opposition figures, “All of which undermines the conduct of a legitimate electoral process.”stated the five countries in the region that signed the letter released on the afternoon of Friday, July 19.
The non-governmental organizations Laboratory of Peace and Justice Truth Venezuela recently warned that In just 10 days of electoral campaign, 71 arbitrary arrests have been recorded of people who are opposed to or have provided services to the Unitary Platform, which is promoting the candidacy of Edmundo González Urrutia in the presidential elections on July 28.
According to NGOs, a total of 65 men and five women have been victims of arbitrary arrests in recent days. In most cases (61.9%) the person responsible for the arrests was the Bolivarian National Police (PNB)followed by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin), the National Guard, and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim).
The five Latin American countries also demanded that President Nicolás Maduro comply with his obligations under international law, particularly with regard to the issuance of safe-conduct passes for members of the opposition campaign who have been seeking asylum for several weeks at the Argentine diplomatic headquarters in Caracas.
Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay and Uruguay In their joint statement, they stated that they observe with hope the civic spirit, enthusiasm and patriotism of a large part of Venezuelan society, which is preparing to go to the polls with commendable dignity and democratic spirit.
“The upcoming elections in Venezuela represent an opportunity to bring peace, unity, progress and democracy to the country. This will only be possible if the Venezuelan authorities strictly comply with the commitments made to the opposition in the Barbados Accords, and respect democratic principles, as well as human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Venezuelans,” the letter said.
Joint statement on the electoral process in Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/6jL4TDnE0Q
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@mreparaguay) July 19, 2024
They urged that the result of the election be a faithful reflection of Venezuelan popular sovereignty and that “this can only be achieved through absolute respect for democratic principles and fundamental human rights, “guaranteeing the transparency of the electoral process and the free expression of citizens through voting.”
They noted that “in a democracy, sovereignty resides in the citizenry, so the will of the people must be able to be expressed without intimidation or obstacles. Therefore, the result of the Venezuelan election, in order to be legitimized, must be a transparent reflection of the popular will freely expressed at the polls.”
*Read also: US ambassador: Electoral conditions in Venezuela are competitive but not ideal
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