Reacting to the latest developments in Venezuela, where the Supreme Court of Justice announced the suspension of the national leadership of Acción Democrática, a member party of the Socialist International, headed by Henry Ramos Allup, and only the latest incident in an escalation against democratic parties, Kati Piri, vice-president for foreign affairs, Javi López, co-president of Eurolat, and Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, S&D spokesperson on Eurolat, stated:
“We deplore the suspension of the Acción Democrática party by the Venezuelan Supreme Court. This crack-down on a democratic actor, a party which looks back on 78 years of history and is a member of the Socialist International, further aggravates the already dire situation in the country. If the great majority of democratic parties are suspended or silenced, the next elections will be a farce. We call on the National Assembly and the government to take meaningful decisions and actions to ensure free and fair legislative and presidential elections, fully respecting the rule of law.
“Persecution, imprisonment and the silencing of the opposition will never bring progress. Only a democratic and peaceful dialogue between all parties can get Venezuela out of its deep crisis. We stand ready to play a constructive role in this process.”
