January 29, 2019 — New York, NY
The recent actions by Juan Guaido, President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, the only remaining democratic institution in the country, have injected new hope that the cause of democracy will advance after years of suffocating authoritarianism and corruption.
Guaido’s valiant efforts have been supported by the U.S., Australia, Canada, Israel, and most countries in Latin America, as well as the European Union and the Organization of American States.
The Maduro regime has not only undermined democratic rule and respect for basic human rights, but has also turned Venezuela, once one of the most prosperous countries in the Western Hemisphere, into a failed state, with most of its people in dire need of food and medicine, and millions having fled.
The thousands of Venezuelans protesting for change are being met with brute force, leaving dozens dead, injured, and detained. We condemn these acts of violence and aggression in the strongest possible terms.
It is revealing to note who are some of those supporting Maduro and his repression today: Bolivia, Cuba, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, the Palestinian Authority, Russia, Syria, and Turkey.
“We salute the U.S. government for taking the lead and giving Venezuelans hope that they can once again enjoy freedom and a restoration of dignity and progress,” said Dina Siegel Vann, Director of AJC’s Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, who has visited Venezuela several times on behalf of AJC.
