Twenty-two countries sign the Santo Domingo Declaration on Venezuela

Twenty-two countries, including Argentina, Canada, Chile, Spain, the United States, Italy, Portugal and the Dominican Republic, held the “Santo Domingo Declaration» where they make a firm call for common sense and sanity in Venezuela.

“At this crucial moment, we urge all social and political actors to act with restraint and to respect democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest,” the statement said. release.

In the statement, the signatories express their deep concern about the repression and arbitrary detentions in Venezuela, demanding the immediate release of those detained. They also request the return of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the immediate publication of the electoral records, verified in an impartial manner.

The signatory countries call for an inclusive and good faith dialogue in Venezuela to restore peace, public security and democracy. They commit to supporting all efforts in that direction, always advocating for a genuinely Venezuelan solution.

Below is the text of the statement:

JOINT DECLARATION ON VENEZUELA

Saint Dominic of Guzman, August 16, 2024

The undersigned countries, gathered in Santo Domingo de Guzmán, make a firm call for common sense and prudence in Venezuela. At this crucial moment for Venezuela and the region, all social and political actors must exercise the utmost restraint in their public actions.

Acceptance and respect for the dignity and integrity of all people are the essential principles on which coexistence between our nations is based. We urge that democratic principles, as well as human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Venezuelans, be respected, particularly the right to peaceful protest and exercise freedom of expression. We are concerned that this is not the current reality in Venezuela. Reports of arbitrary detentions of Venezuelans without due process are alarming, and we therefore demand their immediate release.

We express our profound rejection of the repression of protesters and the violence that has cost the lives of many Venezuelans in the post-election context. We urgently call on the Venezuelan authorities to end the violence and release all those who have been detained, including representatives of the opposition.

We also request that the urgent return of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to Venezuela be permitted, and we call on Venezuela to ensure adequate conditions for the Office to be able to fully carry out its mandate.

We also request that Venezuela, as a State Party to the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, comply with its provisions and issue safe-conduct passes that allow the six asylum seekers who remain in the official residence of the Argentine Republic to safely withdraw from Venezuelan territory.

We take note of the preliminary report of the United Nations Panel of Experts on the presidential elections in Venezuela, which indicates that the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has not yet presented the electoral records that support the veracity of the results announced on 2 August. We also take note that a digital version of more than 80% of the electoral records has been published, which show a result different from that published by the CNE.

We therefore request the immediate publication of all the original minutes and the impartial and independent verification of these results, preferably by an international entity, to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the polls. Any delay in this event calls into question the results officially published on August 2, 2024.

Our nations have appealed to dialogue and understanding to resolve serious conflicts in the past. Today, more than ever, Venezuela must honor that legacy to recover peaceful coexistence, public security and political stability, which, according to reports from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of the UN Human Rights Council, are being threatened by the Venezuelan security authorities themselves.

The moment calls for a broad, inclusive and good faith dialogue to facilitate a political agreement that fosters national reconciliation, peace, public security and democracy in Venezuela.

We pledge to support all efforts in this regard, always advocating for a genuinely Venezuelan solution in which democracy, justice, peace and security prevail.