Democratic Spaces Condemns Maduro’s Fraudulent Regime in Venezuela
Democratic Spaces Condemns Maduro’s Fraudulent Regime in Venezuela: A Call for Bold International Action to Defend Democracy
ONTARIO, CANADA (January 11, 2025) – Democratic Spaces unequivocally condemns the sham inauguration of Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s so-called “reelected” president, following his regime’s blatant electoral fraud during the July 28, 2024, elections. History has demonstrated that dictatorships only respond when their abuses and gross human rights violations are met with significant political consequences. Therefore, we urge democratic governments to move beyond empty declarations, expressions of concern, and diplomatic platitudes, which have proven ineffective against 21st-century authoritarian regimes. Instead, we call for bold and decisive action to defend democracy.
While we commend Canada, the United States, and the European Union for implementing a new round of sanctions on January 10 targeting key Maduro regime officials implicated in electoral fraud, these measures alone are insufficient. Governments, particularly the United States, must take stronger steps. This includes directing the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to revoke licenses granted to oil companies that funnel hundreds of millions of dollars annually into the Maduro regime’s coffers. These funds sustain a dictatorship responsible for crimes against humanity and one of the most egregious cases of electoral fraud in modern history.
Free nations must unite and adopt a coordinated international strategy. This should include revisiting the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) global political commitment and financially supporting the U.S. initiative to offer substantial monetary rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of high-ranking Maduro regime officials. Allowing this dictatorship to maintain power through fraud, force, and impunity sends a dangerous signal to other autocrats, encouraging them to emulate Venezuela’s repressive practices. The consequences of inaction extend far beyond Venezuela, as permitting this regime to endure would embolden authoritarian governments worldwide, jeopardizing democracy and human rights on a global scale.
We commend the extraordinary achievements of Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement. Rarely in the history of resistance has an opposition succeeded in exposing a dictatorship’s massive electoral fraud with internationally verified evidence. The Venezuelan people have accomplished precisely this.
On July 28, an overwhelming 70% of voters—nearly 8 million citizens—cast their ballots for Edmundo González Urrutia, decisively rejecting Maduro’s regime. This outcome, validated by official voting records, was made possible through the heroic efforts of hundreds of volunteers deployed to polling stations nationwide. The defense of this sovereign vote has reignited a population that, after years of repression and despair, is rising once again. González’s victory legitimizes a peaceful yet resolute resistance movement that has exposed the dictatorship’s illegitimacy on the world stage.
Maduro’s regime has lost all international recognition from the United States, the European Union, and numerous countries across the Americas. Its survival now depends entirely on brute force: tanks, tear gas, intimidation, imprisonment, torture, and state-sponsored terror. This is a grossly unequal confrontation—an unarmed populace facing a narco-dictatorship propped up by the logistical, financial, and military support of authoritarian allies like Cuba, Russia, China, and Iran. Yet, the awakening of Venezuela’s resistance and the growing delegitimization of Maduro’s regime present a crucial opportunity for change.
It is time for global citizens and governments to stand in unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and their fight to defend democracy. In the days and weeks ahead, both internal and external pressure will be decisive in ensuring democracy’s triumph in Venezuela. These moments, while arduous, are critical, as the outcome of January 10 in Caracas will resonate in the broader global struggle against authoritarianism.
The Venezuelan people, armed only with courage and determination, need the steadfast support of the international community. The question now lies with global leaders and governments: will they align with a dictatorship, or will they stand with the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom? History will judge those who choose indifference and those who act with conviction. The time to stand for democracy, justice, and human dignity is now.
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Michael Lima is a researcher and director of Democratic Spaces, an NGO seeking solidarity in Canada with human rights defenders and civil society in Cuba. He holds an MA in Latin American history from the University of Toronto.