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resolution motion, 16 September 2024

On the situation in Venezuela

Motion B-10-2024-0035 · (2024/2810(RSP))

on behalf of the S&D Group · Rapporteur: Javi López, Yannis Maniatis, Kathleen Van Brempt

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

This resolution rejects the legitimacy of the July 2024 presidential election results in Venezuela due to lack of transparency and minimum guarantees, and demands full publication of voting results. It demands the release of all political prisoners, an end to repression against civil society and opposition, and the return of expelled diplomatic missions and UN human rights activities. It supports international efforts for a peaceful solution, welcomes the role of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, and calls for EU unity and possible sanctions renewal against Venezuelan officials. It fully supports International Criminal Court investigations into alleged crimes against humanity and highlights the asylum granted to Edmundo González in Spain.

Key points

  1. Rejects the legitimacy of the election results due to lack of transparency and minimum guarantees during the electoral process and data aggregation.
  2. Demands that Venezuela's electoral authorities release full, transparent and detailed voting results, including per polling station, and respect the will of the people.
  3. Demands immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons, with compensation and restoration of civil and political rights.
  4. Demands that María Corina Machado and all political leaders be free to reside in or leave the country, and that political persecution cease.
  5. Welcomes the role of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, and supports international efforts for a peaceful, inclusive and democratic solution, including neighbouring countries' handling of refugees.
  6. Calls for the return of diplomatic missions and resumption of activities of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
  7. Condemns the arrest warrant for Edmundo González and highlights Spain's decision to welcome him for political asylum, protecting the opposition leader.
  8. Calls for unity between EU institutions and member states on this matter.
  9. Recalls full support for the people of Venezuela and commitment to a peaceful, negotiated solution, fostering dialogue among Venezuelans.
  10. Calls on the VP/HR and Council to consider renewing the EU sanctions regime to include high-level officials, security forces, Supreme Tribunal members, and possibly Maduro.
  11. Fully supports International Criminal Court investigations into the Venezuelan Government's crimes and calls for EU support for investigations into alleged crimes against humanity.

Who is affected

  • The Venezuelan Government and authorities, who are demanded to release prisoners, cease repression, and publish election results.
  • Political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons in Venezuela, who would be released and compensated.
  • María Corina Machado and other opposition leaders, who would gain freedom of movement and an end to persecution.
  • Venezuelan civil society and non-governmental organisations, which would face less repression and control.
  • EU institutions and member states, which are called to maintain unity and consider sanctions renewal.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Text 30 paragraphs

B100035/2024

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Venezuela

(2024/2810(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to its resolutions of July 2023, February 2024 and March 2024,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas for years, the use of politically motivated arbitrary detentions have been part of a policy of repression implemented by the government of Nicolás Maduro and of a widespread and systematic attack against the population of Venezuela;

B.whereas Nicolás Maduro’s government has continually harassed, persecuted and censored activists, journalists and civil society organisations in the midst of a complex humanitarian emergency and a profound human-rights crisis that is pushing an unprecedented number of people to flee in search of safety and protection, contributing to one of the largest displacement crises in the world;

C.whereas since 2013, Maduro’s government has seen gross domestic product drop by 80 %, prompting more than seven million of the country’s 30 million citizens to migrate;

D.whereas on 9 January 2024, the Venezuelan National Assembly resumed its consideration of a bill that seeks to restrict and potentially criminalise and close non-governmental organisations operating in Venezuela; whereas this represents another attempt to restrict and control civil society in Venezuela;

E.whereas on 15 February 2024, the Venezuelan Government announced that it was suspending the activities of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) after it expressed ‘deep concern’ about the arrest of Rocío San Miguel and demanded her immediate release and that her right to legal defence be respected;

F.whereas these facts signal a concerning escalation in the country’s attempts to evade international scrutiny and accountability and are intended to crush government opposition;

Read the rest (18 paragraphs)

G.whereas the presidential election of July 2024 lacked basic transparency and integrity and cannot be considered democratic: whereas official data was not published nor made accessible to international independent bodies;

H.whereas in the weeks following the vote, street protests and criticism on social media were met with brutal repression by the Maduro government;

I.whereas in mid-August, the Venezuelan Government expelled from the country the diplomatic missions of seven Latin American nations – Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay – that had expressed concerns over the announced results;

J.whereas the 2018 elections also lacked basic transparency and integrity;

K.whereas Edmundo González Urrutia has left the country to seek political asylum in Spain, where he is now residing;

L.whereas the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR), Josep Borrell, has made great efforts to seek a peaceful, negotiated and democratic solution to the Venezuelan crisis and to maintain unity and cohesion among the 27 EU Member States in this matter; whereas he has repeatedly demanded full transparency on the election results;

1.Strongly rejects the legitimacy of the election results due to the lack of transparency and minimum guarantees during the electoral process and the data aggregation;

2.Demands that Venezuela’s electoral authorities release full, transparent and detailed voting results, including results per polling station; calls on the Venezuelan authorities to respect the election results and the will of the Venezuelan people;

3.Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons, as well as the payment of compensation to them and their families, while restoring their full civil and political rights; demands that the Maduro government cease its policy of repression and attacks on civil society and the opposition;

4.Demands that María Corina Machado, all her collaborators and all political leaders be granted freedom to reside in, or leave, the country and that the government of Nicolás Maduro immediately cease the political persecution being perpetrated against them;

5.Underlines and welcomes the role that the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are playing; supports all the efforts being made by the international community to find a peaceful, inclusive and democratic solution to the enduring Venezuelan crisis; supports the efforts made by Venezuela’s neighbouring countries to deal with the large number of refugees fleeing Venezuela;

6.Calls for the return of diplomatic missions and the resumption of activities of the Office of the UN OHCHR;

7.Strongly condemns the Venezuelan Government’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Edmundo González; highlights the Spanish Government’s decision to welcome Mr González in Spain with the aim of granting him political asylum upon his request, which will make it possible to protect this figure who is the leader of the opposition and presidential candidate, as well as to maintain a viable perspective for a resolution to the political impasse;

8.Calls for unity to be maintained between the EU institutions and the 27 Member States in this matter;

9.Recalls its full support for the people of Venezuela and its commitment to a peaceful, inclusive, negotiated and democratic solution to the Venezuelan crisis; highlights the international community’s continuous support and the need to foster dialogue among Venezuelans;

10.Calls on the VP/HR and the Council to consider the renewal of the EU’s autonomous sanctions regime in due time so that it includes high-level officials, members of the security forces, members of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice and, if deemed appropriate, Nicolás Maduro himself;

11.Fully supports the International Criminal Court’s investigations into the Venezuelan Government’s extensive crimes and acts of repression and calls for the EU to continue supporting the investigations into alleged crimes against humanity;

12.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Member States, the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit participants, the Organization of American States, the UN Secretary-General and the Venezuelan authorities.