August 16, 2024 – Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Dominican Republic – Global Affairs Canada

“The undersigned countries, gathered in Santo Domingo de Guzmán, make a firm call for good sense and sanity in Venezuela. At this critical moment for Venezuela and the region, all social and political actors must exercise maximum restraint in their public actions.

“Acceptance and respect for the dignity and integrity of all people are the essential principles on which coexistence between our nations is built. We urge that democratic principles be respected, as well as the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Venezuelans, particularly the right to peacefully demonstrate and exercise freedom of expression. We see with concern that this is not the current reality Venezuela. The reports of arbitrary detentions of Venezuelans without due process are alarming, which is why we demand their immediate release.

“We express our deep rejection of the repression of protesters and the violence that has cost the lives of many Venezuelans in the post-electoral context. We urgently call for the Venezuelan authorities to end the violence and release all those who have been detained, including representatives of the opposition.

“We also request that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights be allowed to urgently return to Venezuela, and we call on Venezuela to guarantee adequate conditions so that it can fully carry out its mandate.

“Likewise, we require Venezuela, as a State party to the Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum of 1954, to comply with its provisions and issue the safe-conduct permits that allow the six asylum seekers who remain in the official residence of the Republic of Argentina, to withdraw safely from Venezuelan territory.

“We take note of the preliminary report of the United Nations Panel of Experts on the presidential elections in Venezuela, which indicates that the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has not presented the electoral records that support the veracity of the results announced on August 2. We also note that a digital version of more than 80% of the electoral records has been published, which show a different result than that published by the CNE.

“Consequently, we request the immediate publication of all the original records and the impartial and independent verification of these results, preferably by an international entity, to guarantee respect for the will of the Venezuelan people expressed at the polls. Any delay in this happening calls into question the results officially published on August 2, 2024.

“Our nations have appealed for dialogue and understanding to resolve serious conflicts. Today, more than ever, Venezuela must honour that legacy to recover peaceful coexistence, public security and political stability that, according to reports from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of the Human Rights Council, Human Rights Council, are being threatened by the Venezuelan security authorities.

“The moment demands a broad, inclusive and good-faith dialogue to facilitate a political agreement that fosters national reconciliation, peace, public security and democracy in Venezuela.

“We commit to supporting all efforts in this regard, always advocating for a genuinely Venezuelan solution in which democracy, justice, peace and security prevail.”

Signatory countries in alphabetical order:

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, the European Union, Guatemala, Guyana, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Suriname, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay