Travels with Charlie

Whereas: Over the last few years, and specially over the last few months, Venezuelans have witnessed an escalation of repression through police harassment, tax audits, and tainted judicial procedures directed against political opponents of the government, despite their constitutional right to express political views and denounce government abuses and poor performance.

Wehereas: As a consequence of the government’s undemocratic abuse of power hundreds of citizens have been persecuted and face criminal charges with scores of them in jail with no charges and in violation of Venezuelan law. Among the detainees are businessmen, police officers, officers of the armed forces, workers, union representatives, political leaders, elected officials, students, and youth organizers. Their “crime” has been to denounce government abuses and corruption.

Whereas: We have come to the conclusion that the government intends to criminalize all opposition and has closed off democratic dialog as a means to resolve social conflicts. The government uses fear tactics to intimidate the citizenry. Such tactics include the unlawful use of government resources, the manipulation of justice, and lack of respect for the rights of citizens in flagrant violation of the Venezuelan constitution, particularly the rights enshrined in Article 2.

We Resolve: To denounce to the world community the existence of a Venezuelan government policy, widely spread and systematic to persecute political opponents using and abusing the judicial system, now under the control of the executive branch of government. This abuse borders on tyranny and renders legal and democratic opposition void or extremely risky. International organizations concerned with democracy and human rights must verify what is happening in Venezuela today, and if they agree that democracy and human rights are under serious threat, that said organizations take necessary measures so that the government cease and desist harassing its citizens.

Hereby We Decide:

First: Express our solidarity with all Venezuelan political prisoners and those that suffer government persecution for political causes.

Second: Petition the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and the Organization of American States so that they approve an official inspection, In Loco, to verify what we here denounce. Having verified the government’s abuses, the international organizations should intervene to unmask the illegal persecution of political opponents and bring such persecutions to a complete stop.

Third: We inform that we continue our hunger strike, taking place in front of the local office of the OAS. We further declare that we will engage in other legal acts of civil disobedience in order to obtain:

We Demand from national and international institutions the fulfillment of their obligations as agreed upon in international treaties, as established in the Venezuelan Constitution, and as stated in universal laws and declarations that protect freedom and dignity.