The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has followed with great concern the events currently unfolding in Venezuela, which call into question the legitimacy of the democratically elected Government.
In keeping with the democratic traditions of the Region, the Caribbean Community underlines the importance of respect for constitutional arrangements and the rule of law in resolving disputes. In this regard, the Caribbean Community had noted with interest the commitment to dialogue and the rejection of violence undertaken by the Government of Venezuela and those in opposition when they signed the “Declaration of Principles” formulated by the Tripartite Group comprising the Organization of American States, the United Nations Development Programme and the Carter Centre.
The Member States of the Caribbean Community which are also, like Venezuela, Members of the Organization of American States, reaffirm the tenets expressed in Article IV of the Inter-American Democratic Charter which establish that one of the fundamental elements of democracy is the constitutional subordination of all the institutions of the state to the legally constituted civil authority.
