Labour delegation to observe Presidential elections in Venezuela
Common Frontiers will lead a Canadian mission of Labour and Ecumenical organizations to Venezuela to participate in elections observation, and to build links with counterparts. The delegation will be in Venezuela from May 17th to the 22nd and will be composed of members of Unifor, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, The United Church, Common Frontiers and Rabble.ca.
Common Frontiers has been working on issues of Democracy and human rights in Latin American for over twenty-two years. In 2013, Common Frontiers lead a delegation that undertook elections observation during the 2013 Honduran Presidential elections. As part of our work around human and labour rights and Democracy in the region, Common Frontiers will accompany Venezuela’s Presidential elections on May 20, 2018.
We have been following the crisis in Venezuela closely, and believe the situation is at a critical juncture. Peaceful and democratic Presidential elections are key for future peace and stability in Venezuela but also for the region.
Since 2016, the Venezuelan opposition has been demanding the Maduro government to hold presidential elections earlier than mandated. This year, the National Electoral Council, (CNE) called for presidential elections to be held in April but government and electoral opposition agreed to push presidential elections back to May 20th. During the peace negotiations in the Dominican Republic, the opposition and government parties agreed on electoral guarantees; including the presence of international observers to safeguard transparency and fairness.
For more information contact:
Raul Burbano
Common Frontiers
burbano@rogers.com
416-522-8615
