Written declaration No. 611 | Doc. 14105 | 23 June 2016

Standing up for democracy in Venezuela

Signatories: Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Theodora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Tobias BILLSTRÖM, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Elena CENTEMERO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Alain DESTEXHE, Belgium, ALDE ; Mr Şaban DİŞLİ, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Mr Cătălin Daniel FENECHIU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Ingebjørg GODSKESEN, Norway, EC ; Mr Vladyslav GOLUB, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans Fredrik GRØVAN, Norway, EPP/CD ; Ms Emine Nur GÜNAY, Turkey, EC ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr İlhan KESİCİ, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Talip KÜÇÜKCAN, Turkey, EC ; Mr Teófilo de LUIS, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Meritxell MATEU, Andorra, ALDE ; Ms Martine MERGEN, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr Killion MUNYAMA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Michele NICOLETTI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Jarosław OBREMSKI, Poland, EC ; Mr Suat ÖNAL, Turkey, EC ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Florin Costin PÂSLARU, Romania, SOC ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Ms Nadiia SAVCHENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Pavlo UNGURYAN, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Sergiy VLASENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Leonid YEMETS, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Considering the situation in Venezuela, as growing lawlessness, looting and hunger threaten to plunge the country into a state of anarchy.

Considering that the Maduro government has failed to govern democratically and that Mr. Maduro has packed crucial State institutions, including the Supreme Court, with loyalists and has stymied the opposition-run Parliament at every turn. 

Considering that his government has kept political opponents arbitrarily jailed for years and that the situation in Venezuela is multipronged and will not be solved without comprehensive reforms, which the Maduro regime has been unwilling to even contemplate. 

The undersigned members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe are of the opinion that Venezuela’s government should respect the constitution and release the 2,000 political prisoners immediately, including political leaders such as Leopoldo López, Antonio Ledezma and Daniel Ceballos.

We express grave concern at the serious deterioration in democracy, human rights, the economy and society bearing in mind that the rule of law and the separation of powers are not duly respected in the country.

A solution to the crisis can only be found through dialogue with all levels of government, democratic opposition and society.