The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) expresses its deepest concern about the political situation in Nicaragua and Venezuela, which clearly represent an attack on freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
In the case of Nicaragua, the Supreme Electoral Court (CSE) has decided to advance in the persecution of the Partido Liberal Independiente (PLI), removing the legal representation of the party to its leader and giving it to a member related to the current government, and then, dismissing 28 members of the National Assembly. With this, the government is guaranteeing power, ignoring opposition from the upcoming November presidential elections, and remains virtually unopposed, which also establishes a one-party regime in the Central American nation.
We also express our concern about the repeated actions being committed against the National Assembly of Venezuela, after the opposition won a majority in the last elections of December 6. Since then, the government of Nicolas Maduro, acting in conjunction with the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), illegitimately elected, permanently ignores the parliament and proceeds to intimidate elected deputies, by threats of dismissal from their functions and outlawing their political parties, which is part of a systematic persecution to the Venezuelan opposition.
IFLRY condemns these actions that go directly against the separation of powers, freedom of thought and expression, pluralism and the free exercise of basic political rights, all vital for democracy; and we urge international organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS) to speak out and proceed to take appropriate measures, as set out in mechanisms such as the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to enable these countries recover their constitutional and democratic thread and the respect for human rights.
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBERAL YOUTH (IFLRY)
Latin America Programme
August 5, 2016
IFLRY Nicaragua & Venezuela Statement (English)
IFLRY Nicaragua & Venezuela Statement (Spanish)