Agreement of Peaceful Coexistence for Venezuela Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 7th February 2018 The Government and Opposition of Venezuela agree on the need to establish a political, economic, and social framework that will generate effective progress in the current situation in Venezuela. The objectives of the present agreement are the affirmation of national sovereignty, democratic stability, governability, full respect for human rights, guarantees in electoral processes, cooperation in the face of existing socio-economic situations, affirming the rule of law, the full development of political rights and commitment to democratic respect, the absolute rejection of violence as a political instrument, and a policy of reconciliation as a foundation for national democratic coexistence. The development of the points of this Agreement will be subject to the reciprocal fulfillment of all the acquired commitments.
1. Sovereignty and unilateral sanctions against Venezuela
Government and Opposition agree to work together to review and eliminate the unilateral sanctions against the country, which block financial capabilities to meet the basic needs of the Venezuelan people. Therefore, a bilateral commission is created for the appropriate negotiations in the international community. The commission will start operating within 48 hours. Government and Opposition ratify the legitimate rights of Venezuela over the territory of Guayana Esequiba, and highlight its unrestricted attachment to the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only valid legal instrument to resolve this territorial dispute and to amicably reach the practical and satisfactory arrangement for both Parties involved. Consequently the Parties involved reject the inexplicable recommendation of the UN Secretary General that seeks to divert the application of the successive political means ordered by the Geneva Agreement, and leave the resolution of this controversy to a dangerous inertia, squandering the legal and peaceful virtue that offers this current international treaty, in harmony with the postulates of peace to which dictate the United Nations’ approach. The involved Parties therefore ratify their firm support for the actions undertaken by the Venezuelan Republic in defense of their sovereign rights over the Esequibo.
2. Elections
The elections will be held on the twenty-second (22) day of the month of April of the year two thousand and eighteen (2018). Guarantees of the electoral process The two rectors appointed on December 13, 2016 by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice are urged to be selected. These will be the result of the consensus of the signatories of this agreement. Government and Opposition agree to propose to the Secretary General of the United Nations the establishment of a delegation of electoral monitoring and observation, as well as a representation of the accompanying countries signatories of this agreement.
– Equity in access to public and private media, and national and international social networks in the development of the electoral campaign will be ensured and encouraged.
– Upon the setting of the date to call for elections, the national voting centres will be reinstated to their original places and the greatest possible public dissemination will have to take place for the knowledge of voters.
– All technical audits will be carried out with the established standards, not inferior to those used in the elections of October 7, 2012 and of the six (06) of December of two thousand and fifteen (2015). In particular, the aforementioned audits will affect all the components of the system, with established protocols and the presence of international observation.
– The appropriate lottery of election board officers will be carried out with the appropriate notification to them, and due supervision of the Electoral Power.
– The electoral register must remain open for updates both for Venezuela and for Venezuelans residing out of the country from February 8 to February 15.
– The parties undertake to reinforce the mechanisms of political participation of the political parties in the democratic system.
– Within the Commission for Monitoring and Verification of the Agreement, a high-level group will be set up to deal with the issues that may arise and will assist in the proper conduct of the electoral process. This Commission will be integrated by a representative of the government, a representative of the opposition and former President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
– The parties undertake to recognize the results of the 2018 presidential elections, independently of what they are.
3. Strengthening the Constitutional Rule of Law
Government and Opposition agree to create a political commission between the National Assembly and the National Constituent Assembly for institutional coexistence.
4. The Economic and Social Situation
Without prejudice to the competences and responsibilities of the National Government regarding public policies in the economic and social area, it is agreed: To immediately establish a commission for the study, analysis and formulation of constructive proposals to address the economic situation in Venezuela. This Commission will be open to the work and proposals of the different social sectors and may request the collaboration of experts. As a priority, the commission will propose measures to promote the access of goods and services to the population, through the various existing channels, such as suppression of financial blockages, obtaining sources of financing before the various international organizations and entities or countries willing to cooperate, and in general, any other way that may contribute to this end. The present commission will be constituted in the first seven (7) consecutive days to the signature of the present agreement.
5. Truth Commission
The Truth Commission must carry out its work in the shortest possible time and present a report within a period of 2 months. Three (03) representatives of the Opposition and a long-standing NGO in the promotion and defense of human rights, proposed by the Opposition, will be incorporated. The Commission will continue to promote measures in the direction of the favorable initiatives adopted on the twenty-third (23) of December of the year two thousand and seventeen (2017). The purpose of this Commission is reconciliation, reparation to the victims, Peace, justice, for democratic coexistence in Venezuela. 6. Committee for the Follow-up and Verification of the Agreement The Commission is set up to promote, monitor and ensure compliance with the agreements between the Government and the Opposition. It will be composed of representatives of the Government, representatives of the Opposition, the Government of the Dominican Republic, the Foreign Ministers of the countries that accompany the signing of this agreement and former President Rodríguez Zapatero. It will meet once a month at the place to be jointly agreed. It will be chaired and convened by the government of the Dominican Republic. The Government and the Opposition may call extraordinary meetings through the President of the Dominican Republic. The Monitoring Commission will guarantee compliance with the agreements, resolve interpretative doubts and conflicts that may arise. The method to resolve them will be through consensus. Likewise, the Commission may formally address governments, organizations and international entities, to request collaboration in the development of this Agreement, all of this, within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. All the texts, agreements and reports of the Commission will be deposited with the government of the Dominican Republic that will attest to their authenticity. The Commission will appoint a Coordinator and a Technical Secretariat who will be provided with the necessary support to carry out their tasks. The Commission will work for an undefined amount of time and in any case will review the Agreement and the need for its maintenance, modification and termination after the presidential elections of two thousand and eighteen (2018).
Done and signed in the city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on the sixth (06) day of the month of February of two thousand and eighteen (2018).