Washington, DC - We the undersigned, Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS), underscore our commitment to the Charter of the Organization and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the OAS Permanent Council’s declaration on Venezuela of June 1, 2016 (CP/DEC 63/16), and our support for a timely, national, inclusive, and effective political dialogue to address the urgent needs of the Venezuelan people, preserve peace and security and ensure full respect for human rights, due process, the separation of powers as well as the consolidation of representative democracy.

We take into account the June 21, 2016 presentation of former President of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, on the initiative to promote national political dialogue in Venezuela, and the June 23, 2016 report of OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro Lemes, presented in accordance with the Inter-American Democratic Charter as well as the comments made at both meetings of the Permanent Council by member states.

We urge the Government of Venezuela and the opposition to hold as soon as possible a frank and effective dialogue, directly or with the support of facilitators, which allows the identification of long-lasting solutions in an environment of peace and mutual respect, encouraging them to continue to observe peaceful and non-violent forms of expression and influence.

We take note of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council’s announcement of the verification of the necessary signatures to allow the presidential recall referendum to move to the petition phase.

We call on the Venezuelan authorities to guarantee the exercise of the constitutional rights of the Venezuelan people and that the remaining steps for the realization of the Presidential Recall Referendum be pursued clearly, concretely and without delay, and thus contribute to the quick and effective resolution of the current political, economic and social difficulties in the country.

Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, and Uruguay.