• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: NGOs and Survivors Under Threat (Venezuela: UA 46.21)

April 22, 2021

As of May 1, 2021, all Venezuelan civil society organisations must comply with abusive registration measures or face criminal prosecution, according to new regulations under counterterrorism and organised crime legislation, announced by the government on March 30, 2021. These measures include disclosing details on their beneficiaries, such as victims of human rights violations and humanitarian relief recipients, as well as information on their funding, staff, and governance. Such measures violate the rights to association, privacy, presumption of innocence, and puts civil society organisations and their beneficiaries at grave risk of criminalisation and reprisals. We demand immediate repeal of this regulation.

TAKE ACTION:
  1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 46.21. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
CONTACT INFORMATION
President Nicolás Maduro Palacio de Miraflores Av. Norte 10, Caracas 1012, Distrito Capital, Venezuela. Tel: +58 212-8063111 Twitter: @NicolasMaduro
H.E. Joaquin A. Perez Ayestaran Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations 335 East 46th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 Phone: 212 557 2055 / Fax: 212 557 3528 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ONUVENuevaYork , @japerezve Salutation: Dear Ambassador
SAMPLE LETTER Dear Nicolás Maduro, I am alarmed by the new regulations issued by your government aimed at controlling and limiting civil society work in Venezuela, particularly through the recent regulation no. 001-2021, published in the Official Gazette No. 42.098 of March 30, 2021. This regulation places unacceptable restrictions on NGOs, humanitarian organizations and other members of Venezuelan civil society, all in order to further control and limit their work on behalf of victims of human rights violations, recipients of humanitarian relief, and people in need in Venezuela. Civil society organizations carry out a vital mission in any country, but even more so in Venezuela, where millions are forced to cope with a dire humanitarian emergency, widespread and systematic human rights violations, and the effects of a global pandemic. I call upon you to ensure this regulation is repealed immediately, and to stop all the harassment, penal prosecution and or censorship of all civil society organizations working to protect the rights of all Venezuelans, particularly those in most need. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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