2019-2024

Plenary sitting

B9-0056/2021

18.1.2021

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

to wind up the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure

on the latest developments in the National Assembly of (2021/2508(RSP))

Leopoldo López Gil, , Esteban González Pons, , , , David McAllister, Gabriel Mato, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Francisco José Millán Mon, Isabel Wiseler-, , Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Álvaro Amaro on behalf of the PPE Group

RE\1222543EN.docx PE662.838v01-00

EN United in diversityEN B9-0056/2021

European Parliament resolution on the latest developments in the National Assembly of Venezuela (2021/2508(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Venezuela, in particular those of 31 January 2019 on the situation in Venezuela1 and of 16 January 2020 on the situation in Venezuela after the illegal election of the new Bureau of the National Assembly Presidency (parliamentary coup2,

– having regard to the statement of 6 January 2021 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR),

– having regard to the statement of 8 December 2020 by the International Contact Group on the Venezuelan National Assembly elections held on 6 December 2020,

– having regard to the statement by the VP/HR of 7 December 2020 on the elections for the Venezuelan National Assembly,

– having regard to the statement of the co-chairpersons of its Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group of 2 December 2020 on the non-recognition of the European Parliament of the legislative elections in Venezuela on 6 December 2020,

– having regard to the recent statements of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States on the situation in Venezuela,

– having regard to the recent statements from the Lima Group,

– having regard to the International Contact Group statements of 16 June 2020 on the undermined credibility of the Venezuelan electoral body and of 24 June 2020 on the worsening political ,

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/898 of 29 June 2020 amending Decision (CFSP) 2017/2074 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Venezuela3, which added 11 leading Venezuelan officials to the list of those subject to restrictive measures,

– having regard to the International Donors Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan refugees and migrants in and the Caribbean of 26 May 2020,

1 OJ C 411, 27.11.2020, p. 185 2Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0013. 3 OJ L 205I, 29.6.2020, p. 6.

PE662.838v01-00 2/5 RE\1222543EN.docx EN – having regard to the Venezuelan Constitution,

– having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC),

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the legislative elections held on 6 December 2020 were conducted without complying with the minimum international standards for a credible process and failed to respect political pluralism, democracy, transparency and the rule of law; whereas the turnout was extremely poor and the EU, together with other regional organisations and democratic countries, recognised neither the elections nor the National Assembly put in place by this illegitimate process; whereas the democratic forces in Venezuela refused to be involved in this electoral farce;

B. whereas on 10 January 2019, Nicolás Maduro illegitimately usurped presidential power before the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice, in breach of the constitutional order;

C. whereas on 23 January 2019, the legitimately and democratically elected President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, was sworn in as the interim President of Venezuela, in accordance with Article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution;

D. whereas the EU and Parliament have repeatedly called for ‘the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela through a credible political process’;

E. whereas in 2017, Parliament awarded its Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the democratic opposition and political prisoners in Venezuela;

F. whereas the Venezuelan population is facing an unprecedented social, economic, sanitary and democratic crisis, with more than 5 million people having migrated abroad – a phenomenon that is being aggravated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;

G. whereas Nicolás Maduro has publicly rejected the possibility of urgently holding free and fair, transparent, inclusive and credible presidential, legislative and local elections in response to the requests from the VP/HR, the International Contact Group and Parliament;

H. whereas Parliament, through its resolution of 31 January 2019 on the situation in Venezuela recognised Mr Juan Guaidó as the legitimate interim president of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in accordance with the Venezuelan Constitution, and expressed its full support for his political roadmap;

I. whereas 25 out of the 27 Member States had recognised Juan Guaidó as the only legitimate interim president of the country until new free, transparent and credible presidential elections were called in order to restore democracy; whereas many democratic states have already recognised the National Assembly issued from the 2015 elections as the only legitimate and democratic organ in Venezuela and have rejected the illegitimate Maduro body issued out of the non-democratic election of 6 December 2020;

J. whereas the ICC Prosecutor’s Office announced on 14 December 2020, in advance of its

RE\1222543EN.docx 3/5 PE662.838v01-00 EN preliminary report, after a detailed evaluation and analysis of the available information that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the civil authorities, members of the armed forces and individuals in favour of the Government in Venezuela are responsible for ‘imprisonment, torture, rape and/or other forms of sexual violence and persecution of a group or community for political reasons, and may have committed very serious crimes against humanity’, and arrived at the same conclusion as that of the International Independent Mission of the Human Rights Council;

K. whereas the political and indigenous prisoner of the Pemón ethnic group, Salvador Franco, died from illness in a Venezuelan jail on 3 January 2021, without having received any medical attention, despite the fact that since November 2020 he held a court order, which was ignored, for his transfer to a hospital;

L. whereas, since 5 January 2021, the regime has intensified its onslaught and persecution of the few free and independent media outlets that still remain in the country, confiscating their assets and tools, forcing them to stop their activity immediately;

M. whereas, according to press reports and human rights activists, at least 23 people recently died in a clash between police and gangs in Venezuela’s capital Caracas; whereas the Venezuelan Government faces international scrutiny and investigation for killings carried out by its by security forces;

1. Reiterates that until truly free, credible, inclusive, transparent and fully democratic elections are held in Venezuela, it will continue to consider the National Assembly elected in December 2015 and its president Juan Guaidó as the single legitimate democratic representative political body in Venezuela; asks the Council and the Member States to unequivocally recognise the National Assembly elected in 2015 and its president Juan Guaidó, as the only legitimate body representing Venezuelan democrats;

2. Declares that it will disregard any political consequence of the fraudulent process that occurred on 6 December 2020 due to its lack of democratic legitimacy and the poor electoral participation of Venezuelan citizens, and will not recognise any other decision derived from this spurious process, including the illegal, illegitimate and undemocratic formation of a new legislative body;

3. Fully supports the ICC investigations into the extensive crimes and acts of repression perpetrated by the Venezuelan regime; calls for the to support the initiative of the ICC States Parties to open an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Maduro regime in order to hold those responsible to account;

4. Strongly supports the call by the UN Secretary-General for a full and independent investigation into the perpetrated killings to be carried out, in line with its previously adopted resolutions;

5. Condemns the death of the political prisoner and indigenous leader of the Pemón ethnic group, Salvador Franco, who died in police custody and without medical attention, which occurred as a result of malnutrition and diseases related to the unsanitary place where he was held;

PE662.838v01-00 4/5 RE\1222543EN.docx EN 6. Requests the unconditional and immediate release of the more than 350 political prisoners held in Venezuela, a figure certified by Foro Penal Venezolano and the Organization of American States;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the legitimate interim President of the Republic and National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, the governments and parliaments of the Lima Group countries, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States.

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