The defense of democracy is a duty shared by all of us who believe in it. This duty preserves its inexorable validity regardless of the political orientation with which we identify, as long as the principles of freedom and democratic values are clearly identified as fundamental principles. In the case of the great majority of Latin American countries, these principles are guaranteed in our constitutions, which makes them obligatory for both citizens and governments.
In Latin America, the language of democracy is used in deeply conflicting political and ideological terms, ranging from traditional left and right, to populist and liberal doctrines. It seems undeniable that defending the political center and avoiding the consolidation of social resentment are urgent tasks to prevent polarization and populism, from the right and the left, from undermining the fundamental foundations of democratic societies. Latin America has gone through a painful history of authoritarian and militaristic regimes of different political persuasions, which have given way to relative stability that opens the doors to a better future for our countries.
In this panorama of diversity, the case of Venezuela stands out as an example of authoritarian populism where the most basic principles of democracy and respect for popular sovereignty are violated. The upcoming presidential elections, scheduled for July 28, constitute a scenario of deep concern for Western democracies, because there is very important evidence of a lack of transparency and violations of the human rights of the diaspora and Venezuelans in Venezuela. The absence of international observation, the disqualification of candidates, the restrictions on updating the Electoral Registry, and the repression against both opposition leaders and humble businessmen and workers make up a deeply worrying picture.
From the Venezuelan Citizen Movement in the World, an organization of Venezuelans in the diaspora whose fundamental purpose is the fight for the recovery of freedom and democracy in Venezuela, we want to urge all Ibero-American governments, especially those led by leaders affiliated with democratic socialism and who at some point have expressed their support, first for Hugo Chávez and then for Nicolás Maduro, to exercise all their influence and help ensure that the elections in Venezuela are at least as clean and transparent as those that allowed the free change of government in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Brazil and Spain.
* For the Executive Committee of the Venezuelan Citizen Movement in the World, Humberto Calderón Berti, President; Vladimiro Mujica, Vice President; Ana Julia Jatar, Executive Director and other directors. www.venamerica.org
