Elections to choose
a new enlarged
National Assembly
are underway in
Venezuela and
will be held on
Sunday, December
6, 2020. A total
of 107 political
organizations are
running for 277
Parliamentary seats
for a five-year term
beginning January
5, 2021. 14 400
candidates campaigned, taking the necessary precautions against COVID-19. More
than 20 million citizens are eligible to vote.
New electoral authorities have made an effort to secure an ample international mission
to oversee the election, including the UN, CARICOM and the African Union. The
European Union has turned down the invitation after its demand that the vote be
postponed was rejected by Venezuela on the grounds that it is constitutionally bound
to hold the elections before the end of 2020. More than 300 invitations have gone
out to international personalities and regional multilateral organizations to observe
the elections. The electoral process will be subject to 16 audits witnessed by party
representatives and international observers.
In spite of a terrorist arson attack which destroyed ninety-nine percent of Venezuela’s
electronic electoral machines, these have been replaced by 49 539 new, more modern
machines designed in Venezuela by Venezuelan technicians.
No sooner were elections in the offing than US authorities stated that they will not
recognize the elections, even before they are held. Juan Guaidó, former National
Assembly President and self-proclaimed “interim president” of Venezuela, called for
a boycott and rejected the elections. Guaidó also called for “street violence”, which,
as the experience of the Venezuelan people shows, means acts of violence committed
against the Venezuelan people and infrastructure. His calls are being rejected by the
vast majority of opposition parties. The latter question the extremism of fractions of
the opposition who call for abstentions and promote sanctions against the country to
advance their political agenda. Most opposition formations are defending the electoral
route as the only valid means to resolve political differences. Furthermore, Washington
has levied sanctions against certain of these opposition leaders who decided to
participate in the electoral process. On September 22, the Treasury Department
sanctioned five opposition leaders, accusing them of “complicity” with the government.
The object of this letter is to call upon the Canadian government to dissociate itself
from all these condemnable, anti-democratic and illegal activities against Venezuela.
What possible reason could there be for Canada not to recognize the Venezuelan
December 6 elections? We call upon the Canadian government to side with democracy,
the rule of law and respect for the sovereign decisions of the Venezuelan nation, free
from foreign interference and aggression.
ALBA Social Movements Canada, Ottawa Chapter.
December 5, 2020.
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