MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Venezuela
22.10.2018 - (2018/2891(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Javier Couso Permuy, Paloma López Bermejo, Nikolaos Chountis, João Ferreira, João Pimenta Lopes, Miguel Viegas, Ángela Vallinaon behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Chapter 1, Article 1(2) of the UN Charter of 1945, with its stated purpose ‘to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace’,
– having regard to Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which state that ‘all peoples have the right of self-determination’ and that ‘by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development’,
– having regard to the principle of non-intervention laid down in the UN Charter,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to the declaration of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the EU of 10 and 11 June 2015, in which the signatories reaffirmed their commitment to all the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and their support for all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all states and to respect their territorial integrity and political independence,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab has indicated that the results of the autopsy of Fernando Alban make it clear that he committed suicide; whereas the conclusions of the autopsy reveal that all of the evidence gathered coincides with the suicide thesis, the cause of death being the blow received when falling from the height of the tenth floor; whereas the body showed no evidence of physical abuse prior to the fall, thereby confirming the results of the investigation by the Public Ministry of Venezuela; whereas during the investigation into Mr Alban, more than 2 000 conversations reflecting his conspiratorial attitudes in relation to the assassination attempt against the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, were uncovered;
B. whereas the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a democratic and social State upholding law and justice, with full separation of powers; whereas the Venezuelan judicial authorities are the only competent and responsible entities for undertaking any actions in relation to criminal investigations on Venezuelan territory;
C. whereas the treaties establish that the European Union, in its relations with the rest of the world, must contribute to mutual respect among peoples and to the strict observance and the development of international law, in particular respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter;
1. Regrets the death of Mr Fernando Alban and expresses its condolences to his family; expresses its respect for the judicial system of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; rejects, therefore, any interference in the ongoing judicial proceedings at national level;
2. Requests that the EU and its Member States take into account the official investigations by the competent Venezuelan authorities, which have clarified and confirmed the facts;
3. Reiterates its full respect for the principle of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of states in accordance with international law; deeply deplores any interference by the EU or any country in the internal affairs of third countries; regrets, in line with this principle, the sanctions against Venezuela;
4. Reiterates its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan people, the Bolivarian process and the elected President Nicolás Maduro; rejects all attacks on Venezuelan democracy and sovereignty;
5. Deplores the role played by a majority of international media in spreading rumours and using fake images with the aim of generating an atmosphere of violence and destabilisation that undermines the Venezuelan Government; recalls that freedom of information is a fundamental human right, and calls on the international media to act responsibly and to cover events in a fair, accurate and balanced manner, which is not currently the case;
6. Recalls the importance of Venezuela’s role in creating and strengthening a cooperation and integration process for the benefit of the peoples of Latin America; welcomes the significant achievements of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and CELAC in the fields of health, education, culture and financial integration;
7. Calls for the European Union and its Member States to cooperate with the Venezuelan authorities and the democratic opposition for stability and peace in Venezuela;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Mercosur Parliament, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, and the Latin American regional bodies, including Unasur, ALBA and CELAC.