MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Venezuela
25.2.2014 - (2014/2600(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0207/2014
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Venezuela,
– having regard to the statement issued by the spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on 14 February 2014,
– having regard to the statement by Catherine Ashton, Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on 21 February 2014, on unrest in Venezuela,
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Venezuela is a party,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas since 12 February 2014 peaceful student‑led marches have taken place throughout Venezuela and have been answered with lethal force, resulting in 10 deaths and in more than 70 people being injured and hundreds detained; whereas the demands of the students relate to the failure by President Maduro’s Government to solve the problems of high inflation, violent crime, shortages of medicines and basic goods and increasing levels of corruption;
B. whereas the political tension and polarisation is increasing in Venezuela; whereas the Venezuelan authorities, instead of contributing to the maintenance of peace and calm, have responded with brutality and have threatened to conduct an ‘armed revolution’; whereas a number of peaceful civil society activists, students, journalists and opposition politicians are being subjected to harassment and arrest;
C. whereas violent and uncontrolled armed pro-government groups (‘colectivos’) have been acting with impunity in Venezuela for some time; whereas the opposition has accused these groups of inciting violence during the peaceful demonstrations, causing deaths and several injuries; whereas the Venezuelan Government has not yet clarified or fully investigated the events;
D. whereas the media are subject to censorship and intimidation, and scores of journalists have been beaten or detained or have had their professional material destroyed;
1. Condemns all acts of violence and the tragic loss of life during the peaceful demonstrations of 12 February 2014 and the following days, and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims;
2. Expresses its strong solidarity with the Venezuelan people and its concern at the possibility that continuing protests could lead to more radicalisation and acts of violence, which would serve only to deepen the gulf between the positions of the government and the opposition and polarise to an even greater degree the critical political moment that Venezuela is experiencing; calls upon the representatives of all parties and sections of Venezuelan society to show maximum restraint in both words and actions;
3. Reminds the Venezuelan Government that freedom of expression, association and assembly are fundamental human rights in a democracy, as recognised in the Venezuelan Constitution, and calls on President Maduro to abide by the international treaties to which Venezuela is a party, in particular the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights;
4. Reminds the Venezuelan Government of its obligation to ensure the security of all citizens in the country, regardless of their political views and affiliations; expresses deep concern at the arrests of student demonstrators and opposition leaders and calls for their immediate release;
5. Calls on the Venezuelan authorities to immediately disarm and dissolve the uncontrolled armed pro-government groups and to put an end to the impunity preventing their prosecution; demands a full criminal investigation into the abovementioned deaths so that the perpetrators are held accountable for their criminal actions;
6. Encourages all parties and in particular the Venezuelan authorities to pursue a peaceful dialogue, reaching out to all sections of Venezuelan society in an effort to define points of convergence and enable political actors to discuss the most serious problems facing the country, such as high inflation (among the world’s highest), the shortages of goods and rising unemployment;
7. Regrets the existence of media and web censorship and the fact that access to some blogs and social networks is limited; recalls that respect for political pluralism, freedom of expression and opinion, the protection of journalists and a free and independent media sector are fundamental elements of the democratic political process;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government and National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and the Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States.