MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Venezuela
15.7.2019 - (2019/2730(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Manu Pineda Marín, Mick Wallace, Younous Omarjee, Clare Daly, Manuel Bompard, Giorgos Georgiou, Niyazi Kizilyürek, Leila Chaibi, Özlem Demirel, Sandra Pereira, Manon Aubry, Sira Rego
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
B9‑0011/2019
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Venezuela
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations of 1945, and in particular to Chapter 1, Article 1(2) thereof 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 the principle of non-intervention laid down in the UN Charter,
– 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 Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,
– having regard to Article 2 of the UN Charter, which contains the commitment of the UN member states to upholding the sovereign equality of all states and to respect their territorial integrity and political independence,
– having regard to the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (A/HRC/41/18),
– having regard to the fact that the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on 14 July 2019 presented by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela during its presidency of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries (NAM) in favour of strengthening international cooperation in the field of human rights with a view to countering the negative consequences of the unilateral coercive measures, which are in fact sanctions,
– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Venezuela has faced several attempted coups d’état, with Juan Guaidó declaring himself interim President of the country; whereas this act has no constitutional or legal basis, since the premises of the constitutional articles invoked have not been met;
B. whereas the United States, some EU Member States and the Lima Group unilaterally recognised Juan Guaidó as interim President in contravention of international law; whereas external interference, including in particular the US threatening intervention, has inflamed the situation;
C. whereas the EU has made several statements with the intention of interfering in and influencing the internal situation in Venezuela; whereas the external interference, destabilisation, disinformation campaigns, manipulation of public opinion and violence promoted by some sectors of the opposition against the sovereignty, independence, peace and democratic stability of the country and against the Venezuelan people have been denounced on a number of occasions;
D. whereas the economic and social situation in Venezuela has deteriorated enormously as a consequence of increasing US and EU economic and financial sanctions, leading to hyperinflation, supply shortages, growing poverty, and scarcity of medicines and medical equipment;
E. whereas unilateral coercive measures are contrary to established international law; whereas the UN, and in particular its Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, has repeatedly stressed this; whereas sanctions cause disruption to any state and, when they harm the economy, can have a devastating impact on the citizens of developing countries;
F. whereas dialogue is the basis for the peaceful settlement of conflicts and internal situations in all countries; whereas the Member States must encourage a constructive dialogue with the Venezuelan Government in order to find solutions to the concrete problems that now exist in Venezuela; whereas the Venezuelan Government and the opposition have recently agreed to engage in a permanent peace dialogue as a result of talks in Barbados facilitated by Norway;
1. Strongly condemns the attempted coups d’états in Venezuela, Juan Guaidó’s illegal self-proclamation as interim President of the country and the recognition of Juan Guaidó by the US, some EU Member States and the so-called Lima Group in contravention of international law; stresses that international recognition of any new government founded on the basis of self-proclamation and a coup d’état seriously undermines democracy and the rule of law and risks further destabilising the political situation in Venezuela and the region; is of the opinion that the political and social stability of Venezuela is a decisive factor in safeguarding peace in the entire region;
2. Deeply regrets that the European Council and the Member States failed to condemn the attempted coup d’état; rejects the recognition of Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela;
3. Strongly calls on the United States and the EU Member States to uphold their commitment to respect international law, in particular the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states and the obligation to refrain from the use or threat of force;
4. Supports the efforts of democratic forces, the government, the opposition and the Venezuelan people to find the answers to their political and economic challenges for themselves and to promote the strengthening of national dialogue in Venezuela, with a view to improving living conditions and the economic and social development of Venezuela;
5. Stresses that the sanctions imposed on Venezuela have inflicted, and are continuing to inflict to an increasing extent, very serious harm to human life and health, including a death toll estimated at more than 40 000 deaths from 2017 to 2018; takes the view that these sanctions fit the definition of collective punishment of the civilian population as described in both the Geneva and Hague international conventions, making them illegal under international law and treaties; urgently calls for the lifting of all economic and financial sanctions against Venezuela, which have strongly contributed to the deterioration of the country’s economy and the social situation of its citizens;
6. Acknowledges the social and economic crisis that Venezuela is facing and stresses the importance of political stability for its recovery; denounces the instrumentalisation of this crisis by those seeking to increase external interference and championing a campaign for intervention in the country; recalls that international activities and assistance should be undertaken only with the consent of the Government of Venezuela, as provided for by UN General Assembly resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991;
7. Recalls that each country’s path of social development is to be decided by its people alone;
8. Rejects any international action which violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, which include unrestricted respect for non-intervention in matters that are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of states, in any country and in any continent or region of the world, bearing in mind that these principles are also enshrined in the EU Treaties;
9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the parliaments and governments of the Member States, the Government of Venezuela and the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly.