The International Young Christian Workers (IYCW), a young workers’ movement of education through action, present in over 40 countries around the world, has released the following statement regarding the difficult social, political and economic situation of our brotherly people of Venezuela, in particular the working class.

1.    We want to express our full support and solidarity for all social movements in Venezuela that are calling for a strengthened dialogue, the only mechanism to solve the internal problems within the limits of the democratic powers under the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the international law, to make people’s living and working conditions more dignified.

2.    We reject the international interference, the unilateral sanctions and the freezing of assets abroad imposed outside the framework of international law against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. They are affecting the Venezuelan population and undermining the social protection policies established for young people and for the society as a whole.

3.    Under the constitutional democratic principles, in order to prevent a further deterioration of the difficult situation and to avoid jeopardizing the national sovereignty, we reject any military action that any nation might carry out in Venezuelan territory.

4.    We urge all social and political sectors of the country to resume dialogue to deal with and overcome the current crisis which is detrimental to the life of young workers and to the society as a whole. We welcome the initiatives taken by Mexico, Uruguay, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to this end.

5.    We call all political and social actors, in particular the Government of President Nicolas Maduro, to make use of all democratic mechanisms to solve the difficult social and economic situation which affects the dignity of the Venezuelan working class.

6.    We consider important to strengthen the unity of the worker and people’s movement, so that it can play a more active role in dealing with the problems and improving the quality of life, while preserving its autonomy.

7.    We urge all governments of the world and the international organizations to defend the objectives and principles laid down in the United Nations Charter and to make sure that the solution to the current crisis in the country can be found by the Venezuelan people themselves, guaranteeing human rights.

Brussels, 4 February 2019

The IYCW International Secretariat