Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to table a petition on behalf of 556 people, mostly from Calgary, who have signed a petition calling on the government for the restoration of diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
The petitioners acknowledge that there are tremendous human rights abuses that are ongoing in Venezuela and that Venezuela does not yet have free and fair elections. The lack, the absence, of diplomatic relations makes it difficult for Canadian citizens to access services and to interact with Venezuela and Venezuelans. Therefore, they call for the restoration of diplomatic relations.