Greetings on Occasion of the International Day of Human Rights
Greetings on Occasion of the International Day of Human Rights
We, the undersigned, advocates of peace and democracy around the World at the International Day of Human Rights, would like to express our respect to everyone defending and promoting the universal rights of men and women in all countries.
Nevertheless we would like to express our concern about the emergence of systems that violate the freedom and democracy of peoples around the World, especially with regard to the situation of freedom, peace, rule of law and democracy in Venezuela. Under the mask of apparent freedom and respect for democratic processes, the impartiality of the law has deteriorated. This is the consequence of private interest being pursued instead of a general application of the rule of law.
We view with concern the restriction of individual freedom of Venezuelans, as evidenced by the intolerance towards dissent and different thinking. A path towards social development and respect for human rights needs to be found.
We express our concern at reports of the existence of mechanisms of persecution against those who have spoken out against such a system, even at the loss of their freedom expression and facing processes aiming at silencing their voice of protest.
We appeal the defenders of peace, freedom and democracy in the World to join in our efforts in demanding guarantees for free expression and respect for human rights for all Venezuelans. We also call for an impartial and independent legal system, strengthening the rule of law and the implementation of all actions that seek to consolidate a pluralistic and participatory democracy as an engine of social development and peace in Venezuela.
Lech Walesa, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Former President of Poland
Frederick Willem de Klerk, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Former President of South Africa
Luis Alberto Monge, Former President of Costa Rica
Vaclav Havel, Former President of Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic
Philip Dimitrov, Former Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Stanislau Shushkevich, First Head of State of Independent Belarus after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union
Alexander Milinkevich, Sakharov Price Laureate, Leader of the Belarusian Opposition and Former Candidate for President
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