Brazil calls for suspension of constituent assembly in Venezuela

In a statement, the Brazilian government says that the move by Nicolás

Published on 31/07/2017 - 11:21 By Aécio Amado reports from Agência Brasil - Brasília

Avenida fechada e os dizeres "Não à Constituinte" e "Hora Zero" na Venezuela

Brazil deplored the move to convene a constituent assembly “under the terms and conditions set forth by the Executive branch” of Venezuela and urged it not to set it up.Miguel Gutiérrez/EFE

The Brazilian government criticized the decision by Venezuela's government to set up a constituent assembly despite calls from the international community to call it off. In a statement, Brazil's Foreign Ministry said Brazil deplored the move to convene a constituent assembly “under the terms and conditions set forth by the Executive branch” of Venezuela and urged it not to set it up.

“In light of the critical moment in Venezuela's history, Brazil urges Venezuelan authorities to call off the constituent assembly and open an effective channel for understanding and dialogue with Venezuelan society, so it can pave the way to a peaceful political transition and restore democratic order, the independence of the power branches, and respect for human rights,” the note read.

According to Brazil's Foreign Ministry, the “initiative by Nicolás Maduro's administration violates the right to universal suffrage, disrespects the principle of popular sovereignty, and confirms the disruption of constitutional order in Venezuela.” Moreover, the Foreign Minister says, Venezuela already has a legitimately elected National Assembly, so a new assembly would create “a parallel constitutional order that is not acknowledged by the population, further aggravating the institutional deadlock that has brought Venezuela to a standstill.”

The note went on to point out Brazil's concern about the escalating violence in the face of the deterioration of the crisis in Venezuela, “aggravated by the government's attack on the democratic institutional bodies still in force in the country, and the lack of political horizons for the conflict.” Brazil condemned the stifling of the constitutional right to demonstrate and repudiated violent repression by the State forces and paramilitary groups during the vote to choose the members of the constituent assembly on Sunday (July 30).


Translated by Mayra Borges


Fonte: Brazil calls for suspension of constituent assembly in Venezuela

Edition: Graça Adjuto / Nira Foster

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