IACHR asks the 2020 National Assembly not to approve the law regulating NGOs

This Tuesday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) asked the 2020 National Assembly (AN) not to approve the Law on Supervision, Regulation, Action and Financing of Non-Governmental Organizations (ONG).

In a message through its X account, the IACHR stated: “This law would arbitrarily restrict the right to association, freedom of expression and public participation, in a context of closing civic space. The work of human rights defenders is key to rebuilding a democratic society.”.

The request of the organization comes just one day after the president of the body, Jorge Rodríguez, reported that The debate would be resumed to approve the bill in the hands of the deputies.

“There are non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross that serve people, but there are many others that are a front for financing terrorist actions.”said the official linked to the administration of Nicolás Maduro.

In January of this year, The IACHR had already ruled on the matterThrough a statement, the organization expressed its concern and explained that the legislation “arbitrarily limits the activities that can be carried out by non-profit organizations and grants state authorities the power to unilaterally dissolve those that participate, according to their criteria, in political activities or that threaten national stability and the institutions of the Republic.”.