Madam Speaker, the next petition deals with human rights issues in Venezuela. I will note that the petition was prepared and certified prior to some of the latest events, so it deals with the issue of political prisoners and does not mention the outcome of the last election. No doubt, petitioners would like to see the Government of Canada recognize the real results of that election, the opposition victory, and join our allies in doing so and maximizing pressure on the government of Venezuela to recognize those results as well.
The particular asks of this petition are for Canada to advocate for the release of political prisoners with close ties to Canada, particularly Ígbert José Marín Chaparro and Oswaldo Valentín García Palomo; to make calling for their release central in any discussions with the Venezuelan government; and to request the release and, further, the return to Canada, of these two individuals due to their strong family ties, before any concessions are given to Venezuela, such as any sanctions release and the reopening of mutual embassies or economic agreements.