Manifesto on the tragedy that has plunged Venezuela into mourning
We, the former heads of state and government who are members of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA Group), hereby state the following:
The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela, leaving thousands dead and injured, as well as tens of thousands missing following the destruction of buildings, homes, and infrastructure throughout the country, most tragically in its state of La Guaira, have made manifest the inability of its kleptocratic dictatorship to assume even minimal relief assistance in the face of this humanitarian disaster and its colossal dimensions.
Massive cooperation and aid from foreign governments have managed to mitigate this unjustifiable absence—even that of the Venezuelan Armed Forces—during the most critical hours. Those efforts are bringing calm and hope to surviving victims and the families of the deceased.
The disaster has deprived thousands of Venezuelans of their right to life, and its force has pulverized the human meaning of life itself by destroying their essential possessions, the product of the sacrificial effort of each affected and devastated family.
By adding our words of accompaniment and solidarity with the Venezuelan people amid their pain, mourning, and expectant reflection—far removed from any spirit of celebration—we alert democratic governments to the grave dilemma that looms over the destiny of that beloved nation. Throughout its distant history, it was a symbol and example of freedoms and strict adherence to the ethical values of democracy.
The “black swan” of the earthquakes now requires a clear discernment between the utilitarian pragmatism that has dominated the plans that were being made regarding the stabilization of Venezuela since January 3, and the leading role that, with unquestionable legitimacy, now corresponds to the Venezuelans in shaping their own future. The fact that María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a central figure in sustaining her nation’s calm, is being prevented from returning to her country to stand in solidarity with the relatives of the deceased reveals the worst face of the said dilemma, which is not political or ideological, but rather a clear opposition between economic interests and the principles of humanity.
Experience, as confirmed by the tragedy in which Venezuela is now immersed, proves that when moral parameters are absent from political life, the result is death and destruction. Nothing is more effective and conducive to the common good and to peace—as a source of resilience, as confirmed by the Venezuelan people themselves as direct victims—than the spirit of solidarity in mutual trust taking shape under loyal leadership and amid shared suffering.
Venezuela has the right for the democratic legitimacy it forged in 2024 to be present in these difficult hours, so that it may look with confidence, with the optimism of will, and within a framework of restored trust, at the possibility of its reconstruction, with international support, until it can achieve social stability and the recovery of its well-being.
July 1°, 2026
Source: Grupo Idea
Author: Grupo Idea