OEA/Ser.G
13 April 2002
Original: Spanish
CP/RES. 811 (1315/02)
SITUATION IN VENEZUELA
THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF
AMERICAN STATES,
CONSIDERING that the Charter
of the Organization of American States recognizes that representative democracy
is indispensable for the stability, peace, and development of the region, and
that one of the purposes of the OAS is to promote and consolidate
representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention;
REAFFIRMING the right of the
peoples of the Americas to democracy and the obligation of governments to
promote and defend it;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the
Inter-American Democratic Charter recognizes as essential elements of
representative democracy, inter alia,
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, access to and the exercise
of power in accordance with the rule of law, the holding of periodic, free, and
fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage as an
expression of the sovereignty of the people, the pluralistic system of
political parties and organizations, and the separation of powers and
independence of the branches of government;
REITERATING that
transparency in government activities, probity, responsible public administration
on the part of governments, respect for social rights, and freedom of
expression and of the press are essential components of the exercise of
democracy; and that the constitutional subordination of all state institutions
to the legally constituted civilian authority and respect for the rule of law
on the part of all institutions and sector of society are equally essential to
democracy;
BEARING IN MIND the
deterioration of the institutional order and of the democratic process in
Venezuela; and
CONSIDERING that an
alteration of the constitutional regime has occurred in Venezuela, which
seriously impairs the democratic order and justifies the application of the
mechanisms provided for in Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter,
RESOLVES:
1.
[To
condemn the alteration of constitutional order in Venezuela.
2.
1. To condemn [Lament]
the deplorable acts of violence that have led to the loss of human life.
3.
To
express solidarity with the people of Venezuela, and support their resolve to
re-establish full democracy, with guarantees for citizens and respect for
fundamental freedoms, within the framework of the Inter-American Democratic
Charter.
4.
To
call [upon the parties] [government] to for the normalizeation of the
democratic institutional framework in Venezuela within the context of the
Inter-American Democratic Charter.
5.
3. [Within the framework of Article 20 of the
Inter-American Democratic Charter]To send to Venezuela, immediately
a [special] [an exploratory] as a matter of urgency, a Mission headed by to
be headed by the Secretary General of the OAS, with the aim of carrying out a fact-finding mission [investigating
the events] [and] and undertaking [the]
necessary diplomatic initiatives, including good offices, to promote as quickly
as possible the normalization of the democratic institutional framework. The Permanent
Council shall be kept informed of the initiatives taken.
6.
CP09570E01
[To
agree
to convocation of convoke in accordance with Article 20, third
paragraph, of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, a special session of the
General Assembly, to be held at OAS headquarters, on Thursday, April 18, 2002,
to receive the report of the Secretary General and to adopt such decisions as
it may deem appropriate.
CPSC01457E01
Pursuant
to Article 20 of the third paragraph of the Democratic Charter, given the
urgency of the situation, that the Permanent Council convoke a special session
of the General Assembly immediately so that such decisions as it deems
appropriate may be adopted to rebuild a full democracy, with guarantees for the
citizens and respect for fundamental freedoms.]
4. [To agree that the
Mission should report on the outcome
of its visit and its diplomatic initiatives to the OAS Permanent Council as
soon as possible so that the Permanent Council may adopt such decisions as it
deems appropriate, in accordance with the OAS Charter, international law and
the provisions of the Inter-American Democratic Charter (Article 20 of the
Inter-American Democratic Charter).
7.
To
continue to consider this matter.