FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Opposition Denounces Fraud & Repression

To World Democracies

Venezuela is living today a decisive time of its political life. The Venezuelan people have used their best efforts to reach a peaceful, democratic, constitutional and electoral solution of its current political and institutional crisis. Those efforts have been centered on promoting a referendum in order to recall Hugo Chavez’ presidential mandate.

This constitutional solution has been barred by the National Electoral Council’s decision. This body accepted as valid only 1.8 million signatures out of a total 3.4 million signatures collected using a restrictive criteria that changed the rules previously adopted. In doing that, it disavowed about 0.9 million signatures (the remainder signatures: (i) about 150 thousand have been flatly rejected alleging all sort of problems and (ii) over 300 thousand -of which the opposition do have certified delivery- have been lost by the NEC). Those 0.9 million (as the National Electoral Council -NEC- decided), signatures should be reconfirmed by signatories, by means of a cumbersome process that literally implies recollecting new signatures. Those new rules violate previous regulations adopted by the same National Electoral Council. In adopting these new rules, the NEC is applying the law retroactively, thus violating the Constitution.

The previously adopted regulations did not provide anything regarding who should file the data; they did provide that the forms had to be signed by the hand of the citizens who had to stamp their fingerprint (these data, other than the signature and fingerprint, could be filled by the electoral officers –as it is normally done– and they relate to name, date of birth, I.D. number, etc.). As it turns out, some 0.9 million signatures set by the hands of the citizens had their corresponding data filled by staff at the electoral station. The OAS and the Carter Center clearly warned that technicalities should not be opposed to the will of the people which should always prevail. The National Electoral Council inverted the burden of proof and did not acknowledge the recommendation made by the OAS and the Carter Center. Those International Observers clearly expressed their view on their statement of March 2, 2004, where they did not agree with NEC’s criteria at questioning those signatures that need to be re-validate by the citizens, because that may change results on the call for the referendum.

As things stand, the Venezuelan democratic forces need now more than ever before the clear support and backing of all democracies of the world. The Latin American countries have struggled for many years in order to make their democracies politically viable. That is why a democratic outcome in Venezuela is essential, not only for its benefit but also for that of the region. This crisis threatens to expand chaos and violence not only in Venezuela but also through its neighbors. Institutional Democracy and stability is threatened in South America as a whole; so is its democratic political system, one that took so many decades to build.

Violence has already spread throughout the country and threatens to turn into a protracted conflict. A spiral of violence exerted from above, --repression by the government-- is escalating in massive violation of human rights. Torture, disproportionate reaction against citizens peacefully demonstrating and protesting have articulated a savage pattern of retaliatory behavior on the part of the National Guard and the Army using war and lethal weapons against unarmed citizens. During the 5 days of protest, 350 citizens have been arrested without any due process of law (many of them students) and imprisoned as common delinquents (“criminalized” the opposition) with several of them tortured. Hundreds have been injured and 7 were dead (two of them shoot on the back by Military Police). That has been the final result during the protest. According to some Human Rights national and international organizations still there is an undetermined number of people disappeared. Even the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights from OAS called on the Venezuelan government to observe and protect Human Rights. Furthermore, due to those human right violations a career ambassador on one the most important embassies (Venezuelan Ambassador to United Nations) resigned to his post in rejection to those government actions.

Despite of the fact of electoral fraud and massive repression, the Democratic Alliance on the opposition (Coordinadora Democrática) decided to go on with the process; thus, negotiating the criteria for re-validating the questioned signatures. That decision was taken on behalf of a peaceful resolution to the crisis and shows again the Democratic Alliance will to get a peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution. With that they follow international observer’s suggestion with regard to: seeking a negotiated solution with the NEC, contributing to peace with no violence deeds, and follow the path agreed on the May 29 (2003) Accords and Resolution 833 of OAS Permanent Council.

Venezuela’s cry must be heard throughout the world. Its entire people of good will raise a plea to the International Community seeking its assistance. They claim for recognition of their political rights, for backing the restoration of democracy. Our request is for acceptance of valid signatures in order to reach a peaceful and democratic issue, by way of the president’s recall.