European Parliament 2014-2019 Plenary sitting B8-0319/2018 2.7.2018 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 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure on the migration crisis and humanitarian situation in Venezuela and at its borders (2018/2770(RSP)) Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, Petras Auštrevičius, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Dita Charanzová, Gérard Deprez, Martina Dlabajová, María Teresa Giménez Barbat, Charles Goerens, Marian Harkin, Nadja Hirsch, Ivan Jakovčić, Patricia Lalonde, Louis Michel, Ulrike Müller, Javier Nart, Urmas Paet, Maite Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz, Jozo Radoš, Frédérique Ries, Robert Rochefort, Marietje Schaake, Jasenko Selimovic, Pavel Telička, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Ivo Vajgl, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen, Hilde Vautmans, Cecilia Wikström on behalf of the ALDE Group RE\1158027EN.docx PE621.747v01-00 EN United in diversity EN B8-0319 European Parliament resolution on the migration crisis and humanitarian situation in Venezuela and at its borders (2018/2770(RSP)) The European Parliament, – having regard to its previous resolutions on Venezuela, in particular those of 27 February 2014 on the situation in Venezuela1, of 18 December 2014 on the persecution of the democratic opposition in Venezuela2, of 12 March 2015 on the situation in Venezuela3, of 8 June 2016 on the situation in Venezuela4, of 27 April 2017 on the situation in Venezuela5, of 8 February 2018 on the situation in Venezuela6, and of 3 May 2018 on the elections in Venezuela7, – having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, – having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, – having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), – having regard to the statement of 8 February 2018 by the Prosecutor of the ICC, – having regard to the statements of the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, during his official mission to Colombia in March 2018, – having regard to the report published by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on 12 February 2018 entitled ‘Democratic Institutions, the Rule of Law and Human Rights in Venezuela’, and to the IACHR resolution of 14 March 2018, – having regard to the statement of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Venezuela of 31 March 2017, – having regard to the UNHCR Guidance Note on the outflow of Venezuelans of March 2018, – having regard to the declaration of 20 April 2018 by the Organisation of American States (OAS) on the worsening humanitarian situation in Venezuela, – having regard to the statement of 23 April 2018 by its Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group, 1 OJ C 285, 29.8.2017, p. 145. 2 OJ C 294, 12.8.2016, p. 21. 3 OJ C 316, 30.8.2016, p. 190. 4 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0269. 5 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0200. 6 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0041. 7 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0199. PE621.747v01-00 2/7 RE\1158027EN.docx EN – having regard to the joint statement of 28 April 2017 by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, – having regard to the declarations of 26 January 2018, 19 April 2018 and 22 May 2018 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) on the latest developments in Venezuela, – having regard to the G7 Leaders’ statement of 23 May 2018, – having regard to the report presented on 29 May 2018 by the Panel of Independent International Experts designated by the Secretary General of the OAS, which found reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in Venezuela, dating back to at least 12 February 2014, – having regard to the declarations of the Lima Group of 23 January 2018, 14 February 2018, 21 May 2018 and 15 June 2018, – having regard to the report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) entitled ‘Human Rights violations in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’ of 22 June 2018, – having regard to the Council conclusions of 13 November 2017, 22 January 2018, 28 May 2018 and 25 June 2018, – having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure, A. whereas the situation of human rights, democracy and rule of law in Venezuela continues to deteriorate; whereas Venezuela is facing an unprecedented and state- orchestrated political, social, economic and humanitarian crisis, resulting in a mounting death toll and increasing numbers of refugees and migrants; B. whereas the current multidimensional crisis in Venezuela is generating the largest population displacement ever seen in the region; whereas according to the UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the total number of Venezuelans to have left the country increased dramatically, from 437 000 in 2005 to over 1.6 million in 2017; whereas around 945 000 Venezuelans left the country between 2015 and 2017; whereas in 2018 the total number of people who have left the country since 2014 has exceeded 2 million; whereas there has been a 2 000 % increase in the number of Venezuelan nationals seeking asylum worldwide since 2014, reaching more than 280 000 by mid-June 2018; C. whereas according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Colombia is hosting the biggest share of displaced people, with over 820 000 Venezuelans living on its territory; whereas Cucuta and Boa Vista, which are situated on the border with Venezuela, are experiencing a major influx of people, who are often in terrible health and nutrition conditions; whereas Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Guyana, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama are also facing influxes of great numbers of refugees; whereas maritime routes are becoming increasingly more RE\1158027EN.docx 3/7 PE621.747v01-00 EN significant, particularly to the Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, and Trinidad and Tobago; whereas host countries are coming under increasing strain in terms of providing assistance to new arrivals; D. whereas according to the most recent European Asylum Support Office (EASO) report, Venezuelan applications for international protection in the EU increased by over 3 500 % between 2014 and 2017 (325 to 11 980), and Venezuelan applications for asylum in the EU increased from 150 in February 2016 to 985 a year later, reaching close to 1 400 in February 2018; whereas the increasing number of asylum applicants from Venezuela coincides with the political and economic challenges faced by the country; E. whereas a growing number of people in Venezuela, including children, are suffering from malnutrition as a consequence of limited access to quality health services, medicines and food; whereas, regrettably, despite the readiness of the international community, the Venezuelan Government remains obstinate in its denial of the problem and its refusal to openly receive and facilitate the distribution of international humanitarian aid; F. whereas the economic situation has significantly worsened; whereas the International Monetary Fund has projected that hyperinflation in Venezuela will soar to 13 000 % in 2018, up from an estimated 2 400 % in 2017, resulting in price increases of, on average, almost 1.5 % every hour; G. whereas the alarming level of insecurity and criminality in Venezuela is also among the root causes of migration; H. whereas on 17 March 2018 the EU allocated a humanitarian aid package of EUR 31 million to Latin America and the Caribbean, with EUR 6 million going to Colombia and a further EUR 2 million to those people affected by the political, human rights and socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela; whereas on 7 June 2018 the Commission announced a package of EUR 30.1 million in emergency aid and development assistance to support the Venezuelan people and the neighbourhood countries affected by the crisis; whereas in 2018, EUR 5 million was allocated via the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) to conflict prevention activities on the borders of Brazil and Colombia; I. whereas according to the report presented on 29 May 2018 by the Panel of Independent International Experts designated by the Secretary General of the OAS, seven crimes against humanity have been committed in Venezuela, dating back at least as far as February 2014, and the government itself has been responsible for the worst-ever humanitarian crisis in the region; whereas these crimes against humanity include murder, arbitrary detention of political opponents, imprisonment, deprivation of liberty, torture, inhumane treatment, punishment, rape and other forms of sexual violence, political persecution, enforced disappearances, a state-orchestrated humanitarian crisis, the weaponisation of health and food on political grounds, and the refusal of humanitarian assistance; whereas this same report demonstrates the enormity of the assault on the rule of law by the government; J. whereas an OHCHR report of 22 June 2018 highlights the Venezuelan authorities’ failure to hold to account the perpetrators of serious human rights violations, which PE621.747v01-00 4/7 RE\1158027EN.docx EN include killings, the use of excessive force against demonstrators, arbitrary detentions, ill-treatment and torture; whereas impunity