Global NGOs Press Venezuela on Suppression of NGO, Cite Warsaw Declaration

Venezuelan democracy activists face prosecution for exercising their civil rights in action that a letter by NGOs from around the world refers to as "appalling." The signatories write that they "are equally troubled that this prosecution appears to be just the beginning of a larger effort to criminalize the receipt of foreign funds by Venezuelan NGOs."

The government is prosecuting two people associated with Venezuelan NGO Súmate, which received a discretionary grant of $53,400 from the (American) National Endowment for Democracy in September of 2003. The grant supported Súmate in educating citizens about the constitutional referendum process which was being used to attempt to recall President Chavez, and to encourage citizens to participate in the historic vote.

The case is among the first in what is expected to be a growing number as a result of a "reform" of the penal code in Venezuela that now allows the government to crack down on NGOs receiving foreign funding - a "clear violation of international standards and practices," according to the letter, as "proceeding against nongovernmental organizations for receiving democratic assistance is a violation of... the Warsaw Declaration of the Community of Democracies, a document your government signed along with over 100 others four years ago."