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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on Tuesday called on Venezuela “Guarantee voting rights for compatriots living abroad, regardless of their immigration status” Facing a presidential election in July.
The IACHR said in a statement “Concerns about obstacles facing Venezuelans a person who is resident abroad and registered with the Electoral Register because of their immigration status”.
“These obstacles violate political rights and affect the integrity of the July 28 presidential election. They prove that the electoral system lacks independence”, condemning the committee, which is part of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The Venezuelan Consulate, under the direction of the National Electoral Council (CNE), They need a resident visa as their only proof of registration with the Electoral Registry.
Many people do not have this visa because they have not legalized their immigration status or because they have a different document, such as a Temporary Protection Permit in Colombia, a Temporary Residence Permit in Peru, a Special Temporary Residence Visa in Ecuador or a Temporary Residence Visa in Chile.
At least 7.7 million people “They have been forced to leave the country since 2015” due to a “serious human rights crisis” The committee explained that while it was unclear how many of them were over 18, some organizations estimated that around 5.5 million people were eligible to vote.
Millions of people abroad are required to show a resident visa to be on the electoral roll “This is arbitrary and affects the integrity of the presidential election””, the IACHR insisted.
Moreover, “given that those without a residence visa are disqualified from voting, this is a way of criminalizing immigration because, in effect, it equates those who leave the country with those who have been convicted of a crime,” he protested.
That’s why the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has urged the government of President Nicolás Maduro to take the “necessary measures” so that these Venezuelans can “Vote on an equal footing with other citizens” and “immediately re-establish the separation and independence of public power.”
The opposition accused Maduro of “political persecution.”
The Venezuelan government has accused the opposition of plotting a conspiracy against Maduro, who will face diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia in the election.
The latter replaced opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was the favorite in the polls but was disqualified by the official audit office.
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