IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 867 
Expressing support for the work of the National Endowment for Democracy 
in Venezuela. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 20, 2004 
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. HYDE, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. BERMAN, and Mr. 
GALLEGLY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the work of the National Endowment 
for Democracy in Venezuela. 
Whereas the 1999 Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuela authorizes Venezuelan citizens to petition for 
a recall vote on elected officials, including the President 
of Venezuela; 
Whereas a Venezuelan civic organization known as Su´mate 
assisted Venezuelan citizens to petition the Government 
of Venezuela for a recall referendum on the mandate of 
President Hugo Cha´vez Frı´as; 
Whereas a recall referendum on the mandate of President 
Hugo Cha´vez Frı´as was held, and the recall of President 
Cha´vez was rejected by a majority of voters on August 
15, 2004;
•HRES 867 IH 
Whereas the National Endowment for Democracy is a pri-
vate, nonprofit organization which was created in 1983 to 
strengthen democratic institutions around the world 
through nongovernmental efforts and enjoys broad, bipar-
tisan support in the United States Congress; 
Whereas the National Endowment for Democracy has funded 
democracy-promoting activities in more than 80 countries 
around the globe; 
Whereas on September 12, 2003, the National Endowment 
for Democracy made a grant to Su´mate in the amount 
of $53,400 for a voter education project in Venezuela; 
Whereas a review by the National Endowment for Democracy 
of the financial and narrative documents of the grant 
made to Su´mate by the Endowment found that amounts 
under the grant were properly expended for activities 
that were approved by the Endowment’s Board of Direc-
tors; 
Whereas allegations from senior officials of the Venezuelan 
Government prompted the Public Prosecutor’s Office in 
the judicial system of the Venezuelan Government to seek 
to prosecute leaders of Su´mate on charges of conspiring 
with the National Endowment for Democracy to over-
throw Venezuela’s government; 
Whereas international funding of nongovernmental organiza-
tions by private, nonprofit organizations to promote and 
defend democracy has become a widely accepted inter-
national practice; 
Whereas in no other country has a local nongovernmental or-
ganization or its leaders been charged with treason or a 
like offense for receiving funding from the National En-
•HRES 867 IH 
dowment for Democracy to promote democratic rights, 
institutions, and processes; and 
Whereas Venezuelan President Hugo Cha´vez Frı´as recently 
stated his desire for better relations with the United 
States: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses its firm support for the efforts of 
the National Endowment for Democracy to promote 
democracy around the world; 
(2) commends all Venezuelans who have peace-
fully exercised the political rights which are accorded 
to them under Venezuela’s Constitution to resolve 
their differences by democratic means and abhors all 
acts of political violence; 
(3) views charges filed against members of the 
Venezuelan civic organization known as Su´mate of 
conspiring with the National Endowment for Democ-
racy to overthrow Venezuela’s government as politi-
cally motivated; and 
(4) would welcome a decision by the Govern-
ment of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela not to 
prosecute Venezuelan citizens, including citizens as-
sociated with Su´mate, for activities that were pro-
tected under the laws and Constitution of Venezuela 
when those activities were carried out. 
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