2020 CONCORDIA ANNUAL SUMMIT

Juan Guaidó: Updates from Venezuela

Main Stage

• Jason Calderon opened the interview citing the backdrop of UN75 and the commitment, adopted in 2005, of the countries of the United Nations to protect Venezuela and prevent genocide, war crimes, ethical cleansing, and crimes against humanity. As highlighted by Juan Guaidó, at this time in Venezuela, human rights are being violated and crimes against humanity are being committed that directly point to Maduro, and Venezuelans have a decision to make to protect and save lives. 
• According to the report of an independent international mission contracted by the United Nations to investigate the human rights situation in Venezuela, crimes against humanity are being committed such as arbitrary detentions, torture, and abuse of political prisoners, with the knowledge of the ministerial cabinet and the presidency of Venezuela. This same report reveals that the intention of the Venezuelan regime is to “annihilate” the democratic alternative to find a peaceful solution.

“At this time in Venezuela, human rights are being violated and crimes against humanity are being committed that directly point to Maduro,” Juan Guaidó

• A presidential and parliamentary election with all conditions of international standards, such as the right to choose and be elected, an independent referee such as the National Electoral Council of Venezuela, and international support, are the necessary elements to having free and fair elections in the country. Through a popular consultation, the opposition seeks to mobilize in order to generate guarantees that allow the next elections to be transparent and verifiable.
• The ongoing humanitarian emergency affects not only the Venezuelan people, but also their neighbors and the entire continent. Currently, drinkable water only reaches 10% of homes in Venezuela through pipes. For the remaining 90%, it arrives once a week and there is a 78% shortage of access to fuel. With more than 5 million refugees, only Syria exceeds the number of refugees that Venezuela has today.
• Regarding an international military coalition on a peace mission, Juan Guaidó believes that all responses to the existing crisis in Venezuela should be considered. At this moment there are not only crimes against humanity, but there is great suffering of the Venezuelan people, and no solution should add to any suffering. What’s needed is a national emergency government that guarantees an orderly transition and that ends in free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.

“We have not given up and we are not going to do so until we have achieved a transition that translates into freedom and dignity to live peacefully in our country,” Juan Guaidó