The National Assembly (AN, Parliament) of Venezuela, controlled by Chavismo, unanimously approved this Thursday, August 15, 2024, the law on supervision, regularization, action and financing of NGOs and social organizations that provides for the judicial dissolution of these groups that violate the provisions established in the regulations.
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During the session, the legislature agreed to include in the text, at the request of Chavista deputy Diosdado Cabello, that NGOs be prohibited from receiving contributions to finance “terrorism” because, he said, there are organizations that receive funds and then sponsor “guarimbas” (violent protests).
“These NGOs receive funds and we see them financing riots, financing acts of terrorism in the national territory and this would serve to put a stop to that possibility,” explained the legislator.
What is prohibited to NGOs in Venezuela by this law?
NGOsaccording to the new law, They are prohibited from receiving financial contributions intended for political organizations or from making financial contributions to such organizations., as well as promoting “fascism, intolerance or hatred”.
It also establishes as grounds for dissolution of these associations the failure to comply with these prohibitions, declared by judicial decision, as well as the failure to pay any fine imposed “in accordance with this law, once the available judicial remedies have been exhausted.”
The text indicates that the courts of first instance in civil matters will be competent to decide on the “dissolution of a non-profit social organization,” which “must be guaranteed the right to defense and due process.”
NGOs must, by law, report “the funding or donations” they receive, in order to “ensure the legality of the funds”in addition to declaring the “donations received with full identification of the donors, indicating whether they are national or foreign, accidental or permanent.”
Furthermore, according to the text, the Executive is responsible for “monitoring and controlling compliance” with the “duties and prohibitions” established in the new legislation, for which, among other measures, it will implement and evaluate mechanisms that serve these purposes.
The AN resumed discussion of this law three months after its last debate on the matter, last May, despite warnings from numerous NGOswhich warn of a “suppression of civic space and the right of association”.
On Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called on the Venezuelan government to reject this legislative text, as well as a bill to regulate social networks, due to the negative impact they would have on human rights and democracy in general.
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Source: https://www.noticiascaracol.com/mundo/parlamento-de-venezuela-aprueba-ley-contra-ong-prohibe-las-que-promuevan-fascismo-cb20
