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Joint Statement of the General Secretariat of the OAS and the Carter Center

  September 1, 2016

This afternoon former President Jimmy Carter and OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro met in Plains, Georgia, to exchange ideas on matters relating to democracy and human rights in the region.

In the course of the meeting, they discussed possibilities of cooperation and agreed on some of the principal challenges facing the Hemisphere:

Venezuela - September first protest – We congratulate the peaceful protest carried out by the Venezuelan people today in Caracas, which confirms their will to reach a democratic resolution with a recall referendum.

The recall referendum - Former President Carter and Secretary General Almagro agreed on the need for the recall referendum (a constitutional right of the Venezuelan people) to be held in 2016. They agreed, too, that, it was incumbent upon the National Electoral Council (CNE) to ensure that that expression of the will of the people takes place within the duly stipulated timeframes.

Political prisoners - Former President Carter and Secretary General Almagro jointly condemn the proven existence of political prisoners in Venezuela and demand their immediate release.

Haiti - Both former President Carter and Secretary General Almagro pointed to the need to comply with the electoral timetable and called for much-needed democratic stability to be achieved in that country as soon as possible.

Colombia - Both former President Carter and Secretary General Almagro emphasized their commitment to peace in Colombia. They trust that the recent agreements signaled the end to a uniquely painful period in the history of Colombia.

Reference: E-091/16