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Supporting Democracy in Venezuela
The United States stands with the Venezuelan people and supports free and fair elections in Venezuela. The United States government respects the decision by Venezuelan opposition parties, most recently the Democratic Unity Roundtable, to reject President Nicolas Maduro’s terms and conditions for the May presidential elections.
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said, “We reject ruling party calls to replace the democratically elected National Assembly simultaneously, rather than in 2021, as provided for under the 1999 Constitution. Deepening the rupture of Venezuela’s constitutional and democratic order will not solve the nation’s crises.”
Ms. Nauert reiterated the United States’ “call for the establishment of a legitimate and independent National Electoral Council, selected by the National Assembly as required by the Constitution.”“We renew our call for the establishment of an electoral calendar in compliance with the Constitution and in consultation with the legitimate National Assembly,” she added.
The failure to meet agreed terms for a transparent electoral processseriously compromises the integrity of the election. “A free and fair election,” stressed Spokesperson Nauert, “should include the full participation of all political parties and political leaders, the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, a proper electoral calendar, credible international observation, and an independent electoral authority.”
The people of Venezuela are falling into poverty at an alarming rate as inflation caused by economic mismanagement and corruption spirals out of control. Although reliable statistics are hard to come by in Venezuela due to government censorship, the 2017 Living Conditions Survey conducted by three Venezuelan universities highlighted the human cost of Venezuela’s crisis: three out of four Venezuelans who previously did not consider themselves to be poor now report that they are living in poverty.
The United States stands with democratic nations around the world in support of the Venezuelan people and their sovereign right to elect their representatives through free and fair elections.