Enabling environment is key to civil society’s effective contribution to development, as outlined in the International Framework for CSO Development Effectiveness. Indeed, government and donor policies and practices have a huge effect on CSO activities, and can facilitate or substantially hinder CSO development work.
Today, warning signals of increasingly restrictive government policies and practices are coming from all around the world. Open Forum has recently published worrying news and call to action from a seemingly unexpected place - Canada.
Other countries are more known for their restrictive political space - yet it is important to remind that civil society here is also in need of solidarity and support.
Manuel Gomez of Sinergia Civil Association in Venezuela shares just what the envrionment for civil society looks like in his country.
Venezuela, a Hostile Environment for CSOs
by Manuel Gómez Board Member of Sinergia Civil Association
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As Venezuelan CSOs, we will not give up our right to be considered as development actors and providers of public goods. We therefore appeal for the solidarity of those CSOs that share these values of freedom and democracy. |
In Venezuela, the enabling environment for CSOs has been progressively deteriorating as a result of the imposition of a political project that challenges and even criminalizes CSOs’ action. Thus, the government has explicitly stated that a direct Leader – People link should be favored, so that any intermediation in this relationship is seen as a threat to the purposes of a political project that seeks to control the whole of society.
Hence, the work environment for CSOs is not very enabling, on the contrary, it is faced with serious limitations. These limitations, one might say, cover three areas: political, legal and economic.
Regarding the political limitations, the most relevant is the hostile language used by the political leaders, who repeatedly strive to discredit the work and staff members of CSOs. There is also relying on free access to an extensive network of public media to challenge the representatives of CSOs that criticise the government and expose them to public ridicule.
With respect to legal limitations, there are many laws that have been enacted to limit the work of CSOs - some because they criminalize advocacy, and others because they hinder the normal functioning of CSOs. As a result, there are many CSO representatives who are currently facing criminal charges for their role in defending human rights or the right to free participation and association.
Regarding economic limitations, it should be noted that for several years CSOs (with a few exceptions) have been excluded from social programs, which limits their performance. The reason is that in Venezuela the economy is controlled by the State like in no other country. The government has also enacted laws to prevent CSOs from receiving foreign funding, which futher hinders CSOs’ functioning.
Today in Venezuela, being part of a CSO is a risky business because the very existence of civil organizations is seen as a crime by the government. To give an appearance of legitimacy to this hostility, a body of laws has been enacted which severely restricts CSOs working environment.
To sum up, it is worth noting that in the entire history of Venezuelan democracy, civil rights have never been as threatened as they are today. The current government continues to challenge, ignore and threaten CSOs that defend human rights and the freedom of expression and those that do social work and denounce the failure of public bodies.
Venezuelan CSOs have to devote much of their energy to defend themselves against the government, in addition to assuming the duties relating to their role in contributing to development. CSOs have reacted by communicating this concern to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (which is why the government has announced its withdrawal from this space) and in other relevant global fora.
As Venezuelan CSOs, we will not give up our right to be considered as development actors and providers of public goods. We therefore appeal for the solidarity of those CSOs that share these values of freedom and democracy.
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