IPU reiterates calls on Venezuelan authorities to end attempts to undermine the National Assembly and harass its members

Geneva, 1 September 2017

The IPU once again condemns ongoing attempts to strip the National Assembly of its power and to harass its leadership and members. It is deeply concerned over reports that the Constituent Assembly called for the prosecution of several MPs on charges of treason.

The IPU urges the Venezuelan authorities to fully respect the integrity of the freely-elected Parliament in accordance with the Constitution of Venezuela, and the fundamental right of its members to carry out their mandates freely and safely without threats of violence or unlawful exclusion from political life.

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians has received numerous new complaints from Venezuelan MPs following events over the past few months. These complaints, as well as the general political situation in Venezuela, will be examined during the 137th IPU Assembly in St. Petersburg from 14-18 October 2017.

“Recent events only add further fuel to the fire. In order to secure a peaceful future for Venezuela, the constitutional order and the rule of law must be allowed to prevail,” declares IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong. “The IPU, as stated before, is ready to support efforts that would give pride of place to dialogue.”

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The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of national parliaments. It works to safeguard peace and drives positive democratic change through political dialogue and concrete action.

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