The UN supports the Venezuelan cause
During this week we witnessed the General Assembly of the United Nations. It is an event where the heads of state and government of all the countries that are part of the United Nations meet every year to discuss the main problems that plague humanity. One of the most convincing proofs that the Venezuelan question has become an object of global interest has been the fact virtually all Latin American heads of state referred to the situation in the countryafter July 28.
Venezuela was one of the star topics in the midst of the great conflicts facing the world. It has attracted practically the same interest as the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza or even climate change, which tells us that the West understands that solving the Venezuelan crisis is a matter of life and death for the future of the entire region.
The Presidents of Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, the United States and even the Prime Minister of Italy have alluded to the events in Venezuela in their speeches and demanded that the election results be made public, the will of the people be respected and repression against Venezuelans are stopped. I emphasize the words of the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pouwho said: “The time has come to act for Venezuela.” A statement signed by 31 countries was also issued within the UN, in which they highlighted the civil act of Venezuelans on July 28 and asked the regime to stop the repression and arrests against civil society, especially against children. This declaration was signed by Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, European Union, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands , Panama, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Finally, we cannot forget the impressive report published by the investigative mission of the United Nations Human Rights Council. In this, the independent mission highlighted that, as part of the protests, “25 people were killed, a very high number of people were detained, including children and people with disabilities, and several people were victims of enforced disappearance”. In addition, he added that the detainees were subjected to a number of torture methods, such as punches, blows with wooden boards or bats wrapped in foam, electric shocks, suffocation with plastic bags, among others.
So, Maduro’s regime was defeated in the UN assembly and his attempt to cool the situation on July 28 had no effect. On the contrary, the countries remain firm in their attitude that the people will be respected and that in Venezuela we have an elected president, the so-called Edmundo Gonzalez. Now, more than ever, it is necessary to increase international pressure and take action such as that recently taken by the Argentine justice system in investigating and prosecuting Maduro and his group for crimes against humanity. Universal jurisdiction is a mechanism available to all countries to hold the Venezuelan dictatorship accountable for human rights abuses.
Another way to apply pressure is to ask the ICC prosecutor to speed up the investigation process and extradite as soon as possible arrest warrants for Maduro and his clique. Likewise, the country must begin to recognize Edmundo González for what he is: the president-elect of Venezuela. The resolutions of the congresses of Spain, Colombia, Costa Rica, among others, are important steps, but we need it to escalate to the level of the executive power and for there to be agreements between the right and the left of the country so that we do not hesitate to call Maduro a dictator.
Today, the free world requires a review of its mechanisms for fighting and protecting democracy at the global level. Rewards and punishments, incentives and, above all, the tools that the West has given itself to consolidate democracy.
It is now important for countries to understand that the worst that can happen is that nothing happens. Folding our hands in the face of Maduro’s violence is out of the question. Migration is beginning to accelerate as people feel that Maduro is continuing his systematic repression, and Latin American countries are already on the brink of a new, unprecedented exodus of Venezuelans. But that’s what we see. We also face Maduro connected to countries like China, Russia, Cuba and Iran. Maduro wants to be a leading part of this club of dictatorships and makes Venezuela a haven for these countries to destabilize Latin America. This is not just a problem for Venezuelans; We are facing a geopolitical quadrant that may define the future of the West.