UN General Assembly
1993

Democracy is a system of values within which respect for institutions is not only a duty but a necessity. There have always been attempts in Latin America to justify the use of force. Order, the fight against terrorism or communism, the inefficiency of the State: these reasons have often been used to justify regimes that, finally, did not re-establish order but abolished freedom. In the past, this has happened in Venezuela. Today, we have the serenity of waiting for our institutions to function, and we can now say with pride that democracy persists in Venezuela and that we have been able to overcome a serious political crisis. Nevertheless, our future is clouded by economic difficulties. The defence and maintenance of democracy requires the full cooperation of the industrialized countries in the search for a form of economic development that will afford our impoverished peoples a life of dignity. Hence, we support the proposal by the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Samuel Insanally, for a summit to discuss the world’s economic problems and agree on programmes of