Some 90 Venezuelan NGOs asked the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, to intercede with the government of Nicolás Maduro before a possible approval of the Control Law, Regularization, Action and Financing of Non-Governmental and Related Organizations, under discussion in the National Assembly.
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The petition was made through a letter in which they expressed concern about a possible exodus of human rights defenders to Colombia because “the requests for asylum and refuge in neighboring host countries will increase in significant numbers. Likewise, it will irreversibly weaken democracy”, reads the text released this Thursday.
“Given the influence that your government has over the Venezuelan authorities, we appreciate any effort on your part,” the letter continues. For NGOs, the Colombian president can help in dismissing the process of approval of the law.
The NGOs believe that what is happening in Nicaragua, a country in which more than 3,000 organizations have dissolved, can be repeated. The law, in fact, proposes to control the performance and financing of NGOs in the country.
Diosdado Cabello, deputy and vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and promoter of the law, has insisted that the organizations manage resources sent from abroad to conspire against the State and not for aid purposes.
“We alert President Petro of the consequences that the approval of this law may have, which will be restrictive for the rights of freedom of association and assembly and would place a significant number of organizations outside the law,” said Rafael Uzcátegui, director of the Venezuelan Program of Education-Action in Human Rights (Provea).
ANA MARIA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
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