ORU denounces persecution of local and regional leaders at the LED Forum in Turin

The 3rd World Forum on Local Economic Development held last week in Turin, Italy, co-organised by ORU, provided exposure to the work of our organisation as a network of governments and to the work of those members that attended on its behalf. 

ORU’s President, Paúl Carrasco, publicly denounced in the closing speech recent persecutions of mayors and governors, as well as former mayors and governors, at the hands of central governments. 

“There are many rulers and former rulers who are being persecuted for speaking their mind. The day before yesterday Artur Mas, president of the Catalonian Government, was obliged to appear before the courts for organising a referendum on self-determination. Yesterday, the former Governor of the Venezuelan state of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, was arrested and the same thing happened to Chacao’s former mayor, Leopoldo López, and to Antonio Ledezma, Mayor of Caracas”, condemned Carrasco at the Forum’s closing ceremony. 

Indeed, Artur Mas and other members of the Catalan government are currently on trial for charges of “insubordination, prevarication, embezzlement and encroachment” in relation to the participatory process held on the 9th November 2014.  In Venezuela there are many political prisoners incarcerated by the government of Nicolás Maduro. In February 2015 the mayor of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, was arrested by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service for participating in what is known as “Jericho Operation” against the government. The same thing happened to the opposition leader Leopoldo López, sentenced last month to almost 14 years jail for the mobilisation known as "La Salida", whose resulting damages were attributed to López. The last person arrested was the former presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, last 15th October, on his return from exile. He had left the country in 2009 after being accused of corruption by the government of Hugo Chávez. 

The claim of ORU’s President prompted a reflection by the Mayor of Turin, Piero Fassino, who stated that even more important than globalising the markets, capitals and economie, is globalising democracy, development, peace and freedom. In response, Paúl Carrasco added “we live at the local and the regional level, where direct contact with the people has taught us that we can speak and express ourselves. It is not correct that some nation-states are limiting freedom of speech and as a representative of the regional governments, it is my duty to defend the rights of these leaders who are being persecuted and incarcerated for their opposition to a central government”.

Listen here to the full speech by Paúl Carrasco.