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• Migrants demand that the international organization hold an extraordinary session due to the allegations of human rights violations that are being reported in the country | Photo: EFE

A group of three Venezuelans completed more than 150 hours on hunger strike in front of the headquarters of the United Nations (UN), in New York, United States.

The protesters are demanding that the international organization convene an extraordinary session to address the Venezuelan political crisis. Initially, there were two people, but on Wednesday, August 13, another citizen, who was not identified, joined to participate in the peaceful protest.

The person explained that he decided to join the protest so that “people who are in Venezuela know that they are not alone.” According to his testimony, the migrant said that he wants to fight for all those families that have been separated and to return to the country.

“We want a free country. You are not alone,” he said in statements to the media outlet NTN24.

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The protest is led by Daniel Prado and Franklin Gómez, who said they will remain in front of the headquarters of the international organization to express their rejection of the proclamation of Nicolás Maduro as the re-elected president of Venezuela.

“We are aware that the situation in Venezuela has escalated to critical levels. This is no longer an isolated problem, it is a regional problem and in search of a diplomatic and peaceful situation we have turned to the United Nations,” said Prado.

For his part, Venezuelan migrant Franklin Gómez said that the initiative arose to expose the cases of protesters detained, murdered and disappeared in the context of the protests that began on July 29, 2024.

“All Venezuelans are doing their part. Those of us who are abroad are worried and in pain when we see videos of people killed and detained. This is our way of contributing, but we understand that the fight is for everyone,” said Gómez.

UN position on elections in Venezuela

La ONU was pronounced on July 29 on the results issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which were questioned by much of the international community due to the lack of “transparency.”

António Guterres, secretary general of the organization, asked the Venezuelan electoral authorities to guarantee the “will of Venezuelans” in the publication of the results.

He also urged the government of Nicolás Maduro and opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia to resolve their differences “peacefully.”

The United Nations Secretary-General on Tuesday, August 13, published the preliminary report of the UN panel of electoral experts, which concluded that the presidential elections of July 28 did not “meet the basic standards of transparency and integrity” and that “they are essential for the holding of credible elections.”

The document explains that the development of the elections, as well as the publication of results, “did not follow the legal provisions and did not comply with all the stipulated deadlines.”

“In the panel’s experience, the announcement of an election result without the publication of its details or the disclosure of tabulated results to the candidates is unprecedented in contemporary democratic elections. This had a negative impact on the confidence in the result announced by the National Electoral Council among a large part of the Venezuelan electorate,” the report reads.

This delegation sent by the UN arrived in Venezuela on July 9 The meeting was made up of four experts from four member countries of the multilateral organisation. The organisation explained that this is one of the many types of electoral assistance it provides to member countries.

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