A group of 49 countries, plus the European Union (EU), signed a joint declaration at the United Nations on Thursday (12) calling for the “restoration of democratic norms in Venezuela”, although it did not include a specific request for the UN to intervene in the crisis.
The declaration, prepared in the last hours and read by Panama’s Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, had notable absences, such as Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, and was not signed by major powers such as China or Russia, countries led by dictators. No African or Arab state, with the exception of Morocco, signed the document either.
The signatories recall that “it is time for Venezuelans to begin constructive and inclusive discussions to resolve the electoral impasse”, in reference to the presidential elections of July 28, whose official results were not recognized by a large part of the international community, which insists on the need for the Venezuelan electoral body to publish the disaggregated results to demonstrate victory and put an end to the crisis, something that has not happened to date.
They also say they are “gravely concerned by reports of human rights violations,” including “arbitrary arrests, detentions, killings and denial of judicial guarantees, as well as intimidation tactics against the democratic opposition.”
In turn, the leader of the majority opposition in Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia, who arrived in Madrid last Sunday on a Spanish Air Force plane to request political asylum after denouncing fraud in the elections, acknowledged this Thursday to the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, his interest in working for the recovery of democracy and respect for human rights in Venezuela.
Although the declaration was negotiated in the corridors of the UN and read at the entrance to the Security Council, the Panamanian minister acknowledged that no joint work is being done for any resolution on Venezuela, and even added that his country’s position “is very different from that of other countries”, although they share the general principle that “democracy must be restored” in the South American country.
Asked what UN agencies can do concretely to help overcome the crisis, Martínez-Acha did not answer the question and limited himself to saying that the UN “is promoting democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
Despite the Venezuelan crisis having lasted six long weeks, the issue has not yet reached the UN Security Council – the highest executive body – and has only provoked statements from Secretary-General António Guterres, who has repeatedly called for the release of the complete voting records and the need for human rights to be respected, without entering into the question of the legitimacy or otherwise of Nicolás Maduro’s re-election. (With EFE Agency)
#Brazil #countries #sign #declaration #Venezuela