Press release of the European Network of Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution

This December 1st, several members of the European Network of Solidarity with Venezuela, and of the organizations that compose it, handed over to the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the petition: “The European Union must respect the result of the legislative elections in Venezuela”. This petition has been signed by internationally renowned personalities such as Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (Nobel Peace Prize), Rafael Correa (former president of Ecuador), Roger Waters (co-founder of the Pink Floyd band), Sandra Pereira (MEP for the Portuguese Communist Party and vice-president of Eurolat), Jean Luc Mélenchon (deputy and French presidential candidate), Ignacio Ramonet (journalist and writer), Alfred De Zayas (former special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council), Gleisi Hoffman (deputy in Congress and president of the Brazilian Workers’ Party), as well as more than 3,500 signatories from 30 countries. Several political organizations and social movements, from Europe and Latin America, also joined this request.

The signatories demand that the European Union cease to support the most radical sector of the Venezuelan opposition, and that it respects the democratic will of the Venezuelan peopleto end the spiral of political violence initiated by the illegal self-proclamation of Juan Guaidó as “interim president. Likewise, the text signed by many personalities from the political, academic and artistic worlds emphasizes the broad participation of candidates from the entire political spectrum in this election (107 parties in contest, 14,400 candidates for the 277 parliamentary seats). This electoral contest is consistent with the pluralism of the electoral options of Venezuelan society.

“If the European Union were truly committed to be a conduit of peace in a world of turbulence, it should not support the path of confrontation in Venezuela”, the text adds. Whoever the winner of the next election in Venezuela may be, the European Union must adhere to International Law and respect the decision that Venezuelans will make at the polls with their vote.

[PETITION] The European Union must respect the result of the 6D elections in Venezuela

On December 6, 2020, as stipulated in its Constitution, Venezuelan citizens are called to elect new representatives to the National Assembly.

In addition to the plethora of political proposals (107 parties competing, 14,400 candidates for the 277 parliamentary seats), this election represents, above all, a democratic, legal and peaceful solution to the political and institutional crisis generated, in January 2019, by the self-proclamation of Juan Guaidó as “interim president” of Venezuela.

In the course of the year 2020, the discussions between the government and the opposition determined to resume the constitutional path have led to the establishment of new electoral guarantees, unanimously accepted by all political tendencies involved in this electoral process.

Despite its repeated calls for dialogue in Venezuela, the European Union refused to accept this new democratic consensus. And it finally decided to reject the invitation of the Venezuelan State to send observers to guarantee the good development of the election.

This contradiction is the product of permanent pressure from the US administration, immersed in an operation whose priority is not respect for either democracy or electoral processes, but rather “regime change”, whatever the cost. This alignment with the policy of Washington’s hawks is a serious sign of the abdication of an independent foreign policy that has been exhibited in numerous speeches of intent.

If the European Union were to truly bet on being a conduit of peace in a world of turbulence, it should not support the path of violence and confrontation in Venezuela.

That is why we ask the European Union to respect the electoral result of next December 6, and to support the democratic will of the Venezuelan people.

First signatures

1. Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Premio Nobel de la Paz, Argentina 🇦🇷

2. Rafael Correa, antiguo presidente de Ecuador, Ecuador 🇪🇨

3. Sandra Pereira, eurodiputada, vicepresidente de Eurolat, Portugal 🇵🇹

4. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, diputado, responsable La France Insoumise, Francia 🇫🇷

5. Gleisi Hoffman, diputada, presidente de Partido de los Trabajadores, Brasil 🇧🇷

6. Ignacio Ramonet, periodista, escritor, Francia 🇫🇷

7. Alfred de Zayas, ex Relator Especial del Consejo de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas, Suisse 🇨🇭

8. Roger Waters, musico, co-fundador de los Pink Floyd, Reino Unido 🇬🇧

9. Stella Calloni, periodista, Argentina 🇦🇷

10. Luiz Eduardo Greenhald, miembro de la dirección nacional del PT y abogado de Lula, Brazil 🇧🇷

11. Heike Hänsel, diputada de Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

12. Bahman Azad, US Peace Council, Estados Unidos 🇺🇸

13. Carlos Aznarez, periodista, Argentina 🇦🇷

14. Frei Betto, teologo, escritor, Brasil 🇧🇷

15. Piedad Córdoba, defensora de Derechos Humanos, Colombia 🇨🇴

16. Ginevra Bompiani, escritor, Italia 🇮🇹

17. Atilio Boron, politologo, Argentina 🇦🇷

18. Luis Britto, escritor, Venezuela 🇻🇪

19. Javier Couso, ex eurodiputado, España 🇪🇸

20. Fernando Buen Abad, académico, Mexico 🇲🇽

21. Hernando Calvo Ospina, periodista, Colombia 🇨🇴

22. Pablo Allende, medico, nieto de Salvador Allende, Chile 🇨🇱

23. Massimo Carlotto, escritor, Italia 🇮🇹

24. Bernard Cassen, presidente honorario Attac, France 🇫🇷

25. Katu Arconada, politólogo, España 🇪🇸

26. Camille Chalmers, economista, Haïti 🇭🇹

27. Maurizio Acerbo, Secretario nacional de Rifundazione Comunista, Italia 🇮🇹

28. André Chassaigne, diputado, jefe de bancada del Partido Comunista, France 🇫🇷

29. Michel Collon, periodista, Belgica 🇧🇪

30. Geraldina Colotti, periodista, Italia 🇮🇹

31. Marco Consolo, Rifundazione Comunista, Italia 🇮🇹

32. Andrea Cotrena, consejera comunal PTB, Belgica 🇧🇪

33. Sevim Dagdelen, diputado Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

34. Victor Dedaj, co-administrador LeGrandSoir.info, France 🇫🇷

35. Diether Dehm, diputado Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

36. Mireille Fanon-Mendes-France, presidenta de la fundación Frantz Fanon, Francia 🇫🇷

37. Paolo Ferrero, antiguo ministro de la República, Italia 🇮🇹

38. Eleonora Florenza, ex eurodiputada, Italia 🇮🇹

39. Dominico Gallo, constitucionalista, Italia 🇮🇹

40. Salman El Herfi, embajador de Palestina en Francia 🇵🇸

41. Rahmatou Keïta, cineasta, periodista, Níger 🇳🇪

42. Tamara Kunanayakam, diplomatica, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰

43. Micheline Ladouceur, geógrafa, Canadá 🇨🇦

44. Florencia Lagos, periodista, Chile 🇨🇱

45. Irene Leon, sociologa, Ecuador 🇪🇨

46. Benedicte Liénard, cineasta, Belgica 🇧🇪

47. Gilberto Lopez, profesor-investigador INAH, Mexico 🇲🇽

48. Telma Luzzani, periodista, Argentina 🇦🇷

49. Philip Mc Garry, responsable sindical MRT, Escocia 🏴

50. Lucio Manisco, periodista, Italia 🇮🇹

51. Fabio Marcelli, director del Instituto de Estudios Juridicos Internacionales, Italia 🇮🇹

52. Citto Maselli, cineasta, Italia 🇮🇹

53. Olivier Mateu, secretario general CGT-13, Francia 🇫🇷

54. Romain Migus, periodista, Francia 🇫🇷

55. Gianni Mina, periodista, Italia 🇮🇹

56. Maite Mola, vicepresidenta del Partido de la Izquierda Europea, España 🇪🇸

57. Juan Carlos Monedero, academico, España 🇪🇸

58. Zaklin Nastic, diputado Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

59. Alexander Neu, diputado Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

60. Angelo D’Orsi, historiador, Italia 🇮🇹

61. Erika Ortega, periodista, Venezuela 🇻🇪

62. Jean Ortiz, academico, Francia 🇫🇷

63. Moni Ovadia, actor, Italia 🇮🇹

64. Jean Pierre Page, ex responsable international de la CGT, Francia 🇫🇷

65. Jean François Parent, arquitecto, France 🇫🇷

66. Paolo Pietrangeli, cineasta, Italia 🇮🇹

67. Paulo Pimenta, diputado federal, Brasil 🇧🇷

68. Cédric Quintin, secrétario general CGT-94, Francia 🇫🇷

69. Víctor Ríos, historiador, universidad Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona, España 🇪🇸

70. Cristian Rodriguez, responsable Amérique Latine La France Insoumise, France 🇫🇷

71. Milton Rondó, diplómatico, Brasil 🇧🇷

72. Maria de Rosario Nunez, diputada federal, Brasil 🇧🇷

73. Giovanni Russo, ex senador, Italia 🇮🇹

74. Lydia Samarbakhsh, responsable international PCF, Francia 🇫🇷

75. Eva-Maria Schreiber, diputado Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

76. Massimo Severini, cantante, Italia 🇮🇹

77. Francisco Sierra, academico, presidente ULEPICC, España 🇪🇸

78. Bruno Sommer, cofondador Elciudadano.com, Chile 🇨🇱

79. Azzedine Taïbi, alcalde de Stains, France 🇫🇷

80. Arantxa Tirado, politologa, España 🇪🇸

81. Vauro, caricaturista, Italia 🇮🇹

82. Manuel Pineda, eurodiputado PCE, España 🇪🇸

83. Miguel Viegas, ex eurodiputado, Portugal 🇵🇹

84. Alexander Ulrich, diputado Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

85. Maxime Vivas, escritor, Francia 🇫🇷

86. Kathrin Vogler, diputado Die Linke, Alemania 🇩🇪

87. Hubert Wulfranc, diputado, PCF, Francia 🇫🇷

88. Massimo Zuccheti, docente ingeniería nuclear, Italia 🇮🇹

89. Patrik Kobele, Presidente del Partido Comunista Alemán, DKP, AL