Honourable senators, I rise in the chamber today to talk about the meeting that was convened by the President of the Congress of Peru on August 18, 2017, with regard to the democratic crisis in Venezuela.

The country of Venezuela has seen mounting democratic and economic turmoil since the death of former President Hugo Chavez. The peak of the crisis this summer included violent protests and clashes between government and military. Following an illegitimate vote, current President Nicolás Maduro transferred the power from the democratically elected National Assembly to the new illegitimate Constituent Assembly.

On August 18, the presidents and vice-presidents of Congress of Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Spain gathered in Lima to strongly condemn the action of the Venezuelan president. With the approval of our dear Speaker of the Senate of Canada, I attended the meeting as a representative for Canada. I reiterated Canada’s commitment to democratic values in the Americas and called for a negotiated return to democratic order in Venezuela. The declaration that was adopted in Lima condemns the rupture of democratic order in Venezuela and demands a return to the rule of law. The meeting also highlighted human rights violations and demanded the release of political prisoners.

The Americas hold a collective commitment to democracy, enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter. As the Venezuelan government abandoned this commitment, some participants called for strict sanctions on the Venezuelan government; however, the declaration stopped short of making any sanction recommendations.

Fellow senators, I invite you to follow the current situation in Venezuela very closely. We must constantly reaffirm our democratic values here and abroad. Latin America is an important ally to Canada, and we must not let the abuse of power diminish these values. Thank you very much.