This is a declaration signed by thirty countries on Venezuela on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. In this document, which was joined by Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, the EU and Latin American countries such as Argentina, it is stated that “presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, according to the electoral registers accessible to the public, was the most voted in the elections of July 28″.
In the text of the declaration, a new political stage is also mentioned in Venezuela. “The time has come for Venezuelan political leaders to begin constructive and inclusive negotiations on a transition with guarantees for both parties to break the political impasse in which the country finds itself and to peacefully restore democratic institutions in accordance with Venezuelan law and the expressed will of the people. thanks to your votes on July 28. We stand with the millions of Venezuelans who continue to risk their lives and well-being to demand a more democratic, prosperous and secure future for themselves and their country.
The declaration brings together the countries that do not recognize the victory of Nicolas Maduro and, therefore, grant it more or less tacitly to Edmundo González – the United States and the 27 of the EU –, as well as others who have made the decision to consider Edmundo González “elected president”, like Argentina and the Dominican Republic.
“Thirty-one countries gathered on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the serious concerns raised by the emergency situation in Venezuela and to reiterate our support for respect for democratic principles and the defense of human rights. “man in this country,” the statement said. : “We congratulate the Venezuelan people for their participation in the July 28 presidential elections despite the significant challenges. More than 12 million people went to the polls and exercised their right to vote. Their will, expressed at the ballot box, must be respected. However, nearly two months have passed since the elections and calls for electoral transparency from Venezuelans and the international community remain unanswered. “International election observers have raised serious concerns about the transparency and integrity of the electoral process, particularly the refusal of the National Electoral Commission to publish detailed and independently verifiable results from polling stations, as required. »
The statement added: “We remain deeply concerned by the widespread and continued repression, as well as the abuses and human rights violations 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, an arrest warrant for political reasons was issued on September 3 against presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who, according to publicly available electoral registers, was the more voted in the elections of July 28, forced him to leave the country.
In this sense, the 31 countries call for “the immediate release of people arbitrarily detained without respecting the guarantees of a fair trial. It is essential that Venezuelans are allowed to peacefully express their political views, including exercising their freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, without fear of reprisal. We call for an end to the excessive use of force, political violence and harassment against the opposition and civil society.
And they conclude: “We demand the immediate return of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to Venezuela and the necessary conditions so that it can fully fulfill its mandate. Furthermore, we call on Venezuela to respect and fulfill its commitments under international law, including under the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, by granting safe passage to the six asylum seekers currently in official residence in the Argentine Republic and allowing them to travel in complete safety. leave Venezuelan territory.
