RESOLUTION on the political situation in South America

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the following motions for resolutions :

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Ephremidis, Mr Adamou and Mr Alavanos on the situation in Chile (Doc. 2-552/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Vandemeulebroucke and Mr Kuijpers on the elections in Brazil (Doc. 2-1054/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Van Miert on Chile (Doc. 2-1107/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mrs Dury on political prisoners in Argentina (Doc. 2-1146/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Saby on the clampdown in Chile and the situation of Chileans in exile (Doc. 2-1247/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Glinne on the return of political refugees to Chile (Doc. 2-1254/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Formigoni and others on the transition to democracy in Brazil (Doc. 2-1294/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Brok and others on the situation in Chile (Doc. 2-1296/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Klepsch on the situation in Chile (Doc. 2-1298/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mrs Van Hemeldonck on human and trade union rights in Chile (Doc. 2-1433/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Simpson and Mr Kuijpers on violence against smallholders (posseiros) in North-East Brazil (Doc. 2-1491/84/rev.),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Vandemeulebroucke and Mr Kuijpers on the situation in Peru (Doc. 2-1658/84),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Glinne and others on a negotiated settlement to the problem of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Doc. B2-21/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Tuckman on restoring democracy in Chile (Doc. B2-37/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Schwalba-Hoth and Mrs Heinrich on the further escalation of acts of repression in Chile in March (Doc. B2-234/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mrs Dury and Mrs Vayssade on the special measures affecting political detainees in Chile (Doc. B2-241/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Kuijpers and Mr Vandemeulebroucke on the detention of 10 Chilean citizens without any form of trial (Doc. B2-370/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Vandemeulebroucke and Mr Kuijpers on the fate of Ulises Gomez Navaro, Fernando Fuentes, Sergio Ruiz Lazo, Maroa Doris Cifuentes Cassali and other victims of the Chilean dictatorship (Doc. B2-405/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mrs Van Hemeldonck on the arrest of the trade union leader Manuel Bustos in Chile (Doc. B2-433/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Ulburghs on the repression in Chile (Doc. B2-574/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mrs Dury on the ending of martial law in Chile (Doc. B2-611/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Vandemeulebroucke and others on political prisoners in Argentina (Doc. B2-646/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Glinne on the protection of the cultural sanctuary of the island of Rapanui (Easter Island) and the right of its inhabitants to self-determination (Doc. B2-900/85),

- motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Chanterie on increasing violence against clergy and students in Chile (Doc. B2-908/85),

- having regard to its resolutions of 13 June 1985 on economic relations between the European Community and Latin America (1) on relations between the European Community and Latin America - developments aspects (2), and on the proposed cooperation agreement between the European Community and Central America (3),

(1) OJ No C 175, 15.7.1985, p. 245.

(2) OJ No C 175, 15.7.1985, p. 247.

(3) OJ No C 175, 15.7.1985, p. 243.

- having regard to the 1983 framework agreement between the European Community and the Andean Pact countries,

- having regard to the Commission's guidelines on aid and cooperation,

- having regard to the Final Acts of all the European Community/Latin America Interparliamentary Conferences, in particular the VIth and VIIth European Community/Latin America Interparliamentary Conferences (Brussels 1984 (4) and Brasilia 1985 (5)),

(4) PE 85.416/fin., 4 July 1983.

(5) PE 99.224, 20 June 1985.

- having regard to the interim report by the Political Affairs Committee (Doc. A2-187/85).

1. Welcomes the fact that international disputes such as the Beagle Channel conflict are increasingly being settled through negotiation; encourages all states to resolve their outstanding border disputes without the use of force and through common accord and expects South America to develop into a stable region of peace and international cooperation;

2. Expresses its satisfaction that an increasing number of countries have embarked upon the path towards democracy and that

- the democracies in the North have consolidates their position,

- democratic forces have been able to remove long-standing military governments through the elections in Argentina and Uruguay (1984),

- Brazil has promptly embarked on the process of democratization,

- free elections have been held in Bolivia and Peru for the second time in succession despite difficult internal conditions;

3. (a) Notes with concern that three countries remain aloof from the process of democratization :

- Chile, which served as an example of democratic pluralism and respect for human rights in Latin America for a period of 40 years until the beginning of the seventies, has still shown no sign of democratic developments even 12 years after the military coup in 1973,

- Paraguay has still not embarked on the overdue process of democratization,

- Surinam, which is adhering to its totalitarian course;

(b) - Calls for the swift opening of a genuine national dialogue between the Chilean Government and the democratic forces with a view to drawing up a binding timetable for a prompt return to democracy through free, pluralist elections and notes, despite a few specific cases, the relaxation of press censorship and the prosecution of certain members of the security forces for political assassination as the first steps towards the re-establishment of democracy;

- welcomes the 'National Agreement on the Return to Full Democracy' concluded in August 1985 by eleven democratic opposition parties in Chile through the good offices of the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Cardinal Fresno, which, for the first time, created a common platform for this opposition for process of democratization and presents a clear democratic alternative to the military junta;

- expects the Chilean Government to take into account the proposals for mediation made by non-governmental organizations of social and religious nature such as the Catholic Church and the 'Vicaria de la Solidaridad';

- regrets that the Chilean Government has refused the offer of dialogue put forward in the national agreement by a sector of the democratic opposition, thus expressing its will to remain in power;

(c) Demands that the victims of violence and their families, and refugees, be given priority in respect of humanitarian aid measures;

(d) Condemns the continuing 'disappearances' and urges that support be given to the members of the families of those who have disappeared and that those responsible for such crimes be brought to trial;

(e) Condemns the practice of expelling citizens from their own country or refusing them permission to return and speaks out for the right of every citizen to live in his own country;

(f) Condemns torture and state tyranny; strongly condemns the use of repressive, police-state measures;

(g) Calls for

- acceptance of the offers made by the church and other institutions to mediate in the initiation of national dialogues;

- unconditional respect for human rights, for civil, political and trade union freedoms and the total abolition of censorship and for equal rights for women and equal recognition of their specific problems;

- an end to state repression and all forms of terrorism, including state terrorism, whatever the motive therefore;

(h) Expresses its support for the initiatives by the UN General Assembly on Chile;

4. Notes that in many South American countries the human rights situation has improved as democratic trends have consolidated or re-established themselves;

Urges that, following the return to democracy in Argentina, all possible efforts should be made to encourage the normalization of relations between the UK and Argentina and the initiation of discussions designed to secure a peaceful and lasting settlement of the Falklands/Malvinas problem, which is in the interests of all those involved, especially the inhabitants;

Congratulates the governmental, parliamentary and judicial authorities in Argentina on their efforts to investigate the violations of human rights under the previous military regimes - and in particular the fate of missing persons - and to bring the guilty to trial without respect of person and urges them to continue with these efforts as long as necessary fully to complete this process;

Regrets that in the fight against subversive or terrorist movements in Bolivian, and particularly in Peru, large numbers of innocent people have fallen victim to attacks by the army and the security forces and that there are increasingly frequent violations of human rights; shares the view, however, that the civil governments of both countries are making every endeavour to ensure respect for human rights and should fully maintain all democratic freedoms including the rights of trade unions to organize and take industrial action;

5. Condemns all forms of national or international terrorism and regards guerrilla movements such as the anarcho-maoist 'Sendero Luminoso' in Peru as a constant threat to democracy and the rule of law and requests that the governments in South America be given the requisite support under international anti-terrorism agreements;

6. Calls for all the necessary steps to be taken in the countries concerned to restore genuine social peace, since only this will make possible democratic progress founded on the principles of the constitutional state;

7. Calls in earnest for coordinated action to combat the international drugs trade which commands some major production, processing and distribution systems in some countries in South America;

8. Notes that the economic depression in most South American countries, mounting foreign debts, the constraints on economic and social reforms, the concomitant impoverishment of broad sectors of the population both in the major urgan centres and in rural areas and the resultant social unrest threatens the stability of the new democracies and jeopardizes democratic processes;

Stresses the deep rooted links that exist in all countries between economic growth, social and political stability and respect for human rights and that here, shortcomings in the development of an education system providing equal opportunities should not be overlooked;

Stresses the necessity for Latin American countries to be able to stem the flight of capital;

Believes that an urgent response must be made to the debt problem in order to enable the necessary reduction in the servicing costs borne by the Latin American countries to be carried out in a framework compatible with their economic and social development and calls therefore for criteria of compatibility to be inserted into the agreements with the International Monetary Fund on rescheduling the debt an supports - in principle - the relevant conclusions of the joint Final Act of the VIIth European Community/Latin America Interparliamentary Conference of 20 June 1985;

9. (a) Calls on the European Community to make its own contribution to the economic and social development of South America and the stabilization of democratic structures; expects that the new Member States, Portugal and Spain, will help consolidate relations between the Community and Latin America, but at the same time warms against arousing false expectations in our Latin American partners by making unrealistic promises and thereby straining relations;

(b) From this point of view, considers the Commission's guidelines for aid and cooperation to be realistic proposals for an improvement in relations between the Community and Latin America in the political, economic, cultural, development and environmental sectors;

(c) Welcomes the conclusion of a EEC/Andean Pact framework agreement (1983); expects this agreement, which has not yet entered into force, to be applied in full, but notes with some concern that, within the Andean Pact, bilateral economic agreements with the Community or its Member States often take precedence over multilateral agreements and therefore discourage regional integration among the Andean Pact countries;

(d) Proposes an EEC/Andean Pact conference at Foreign Minister level on the lines of the conference on Central America held in Costa Rica (October 1984) and the follow-up conference in Luxembourg (November 1985);

(e) Expects that the longstanding cooperation agreement between the EEC and Brazil will be implemented and the Commission will initiate negotiations for cooperation agreements with Argentina and Uruguay;

(f) Given the need to concentrate efforts in specific area, considers support for particularly poor countries such as Bolivia, possibly in the form of non-returnable subsidies or partial debt remission, to be an economic, social and political priority; endeavours should also be made to reach similar agreements with other creditor countries;

10. Welcomes the establishment of a European/Latin America Institute (IRELA) in Madrid and Brasilia which should encourage cultural, economic and political cooperation between the two regions on a strictly pluralist basis and calls for the requisite staff and equipment to be provided for in the Community budget for the development and consolidation phase;

11. Considers important everything that may contribute at political, cultural, and economic level, to extending relations between the countries of the EEC and the democratic countries of Latin America;

Considers the work of the international party federations to be a valuable contribution to the stabilization of democracy in South America and calls on these to fulfil their responsibilities in this respect,

Welcomes the reciprocal exchange of observers at elections in Europe and Latin America and stresses the importance of technical assistance by EEC Member States in the conduct of elections in certain countries of Latin America and the need for strengthening the ties between the political parties in both regions;

12. Stresses that the protection and appropriate utilization of natural resources are essential conditions for economic development and the prosperity of the population, opposes in particular the ruthless exploitation of South America's rain forests with its incalculable climatic consequences, which represents a threat to the survival of aboriginal peoples, and could in the long run prove to be an ecological disaster and calls for wide-ranging cooperation between the two regions in the environment sector so that joint solutions may be worked out in spheres of mutual interest;

13. Welcomes the completion of the enlargement of the European Community to include Spain and Portugal and expects that those countries will help consolidate and develop relations between the EEC and Latin America;

14. Advocates support for all efforts towards regional integration and political cooperation currently in progress and the revival of existing regional cooperation bodies such as the Central American Common Market, the Andean Pact, the Central American Development Bank and so on;

15. Acknowledges by way of realistic appraisal of the Community's scope for action :

- free Europe's shared responsibility for creating, consolidating and protecting pluralist free democracies which alone are capable of ensuring respect for human rights;

- the Community's contribution to socio-economic change in Latin America and to joint exploitation of its major economic potential on the basis of more stable social and economic conditions;

- the Community's assumption of an active role in the development of comprehensive cooperation based on partnership between the Community, the USA and Latin America, for which purpose the European Parliament shall make immediate approaches to the US Congress and the Latin-American Parliament;

16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council, the Foreign Ministers meeting in Political Cooperation, the governments of the Member States, the Council of Europe and the governments of the various states of South America.