Caracas, January 4th, 2019
[crear_boton_PDF]https://mppre.gob.ve/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Comunicado-inglés-Grupo-de-Lima.pdf[/crear_boton_PDF]Venezuela rejects declaration of self-styled Grupo de Lima
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expresses its astonishment regarding the extravagant declaration issued by a group of countries from the American continent, which have agreed upon encouraging a coup d’état in Venezuela following instructions from the United States government through videoconference. It is an unprecedented event in the history of the region –seeking to ignore both the democratically elected government and the legitimately established institutions, to the extent of attempting to modify the country’s territorial limits by ascribing an unquestionably Venezuelan territory to a neighbouring nation, thus meddling in a territorial controversy of exclusive bilateral concern.
In this regard, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela informs that on January 10th, President Nicolas Maduro Moros shall legitimately and constitutionally assume the Presidency of the Republic for the 2019 – 2025 term, in perfect harmony with the provisions of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, for which no consent of any foreign government is required.
On May 20th, 2018, the world witnessed the presidential elections in Venezuela, with the participation of several candidates -representing an even higher number of political parties- and a massive turnout by the people. Nicolas Maduro Moros’ candidacy emerged victorious with more than 67% of the validly-cast votes.
This electoral process was, on one hand, accompanied by over two hundred national and international personalities and organisations and, on the other, publicly audited sixteen times during its development, thus attesting the fairness of its results. In this light, there is no evidence of challenges of any kind before the Venezuelan institutions by any candidates not favoured by the people’s vote. Consequently, the large majority of the countries in the world have expressed their recognition of this election and their congratulations to President Maduro.
This electoral process was held under the same guarantees and conditions as the last parliamentary elections from which the current National Assembly derived. Furthermore, it was conducted by the same authorities of the Electoral Power. Therefore, the authorities emerged from both elections have identical legitimacy.
In view of the referred declaration by the so-called Group of Lima -which wrote a shameful page in the region’s international relations history- the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will respond to any actions that may be taken individually by any country in the corresponding proportion and in the field it chooses, according to the principle of reciprocity.
Finally, it is worth remembering that, throughout its glorious history as a Nation, no country or coalition of countries has not been nor will be able to intimidate the heroic Venezuelan people as the heir to the greatest libertarian lineage of the American continent.