A group of well known international politicians and academics has sent a letter to President Chávez expressing their concern over the persecution of civic groups calling it a danger to democracy. The letter expresses its concern that these groups are being persecuted for attempting to exercise their rights and specifically mentions Sumate as part of it:
“We are aware of the situation affecting the representatives of Sumate, a civil organization that promotes and defends the political rights of Venezuelan citizens, who are being subject to a judicial process for receiving international financing for executing a program of citizen education to let them know the mechanisms of political and citizen participation”.
“To try and punish non-Government organizations for receiving financing directed towards strengthening democracy is a violation of the Interamerican democratic Charter and of the Warsaw Declaration of the Community of Democracies. We should remind you that the Venezuelan Government signed for years ago the Warsaw Declaration together with more than one hundred countries”
“As democrats of the world, we plead to you to intervene to reconsider both the judicial process against the leaders of Sumate as well as the legislative project to reform the penal code that aims to make it a crime to receive international democratic aid.”
The letter, which was also sent to the President of the Supreme Court, was signed, among others by Vaclav Havel, Madeleine Albright, Bernard Aronson, Theodore Sorensen and Sen. John McCain. While the effort is certainly appreciated, like other international efforts it will likely have little effect on what is happening with these cases.
The Devil's Excrement 
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