Document #2032512
USDOS – US Department of State (Author)
Venezuela. The regime allows and tolerates the use of its territory by terrorist organizations. Much of Venezuela is ungoverned, under-governed, or ill-governed. At times, the regime has openly welcomed terrorist activities in its territory. On July 28, during the closing remarks of the Sao Paolo Forum in Caracas, Maduro stated that Iván Márquez and Jesús Santrich (former FARC leaders who were at that time missing and widely presumed to have left the peace process and returned to terrorist activities) were both welcome in Venezuela. On August 29, both Márquez and Santrich appeared in a video in which they were wearing uniforms, carrying weapons, and calling for the FARC to return to arms against the Colombian government. The democratically elected National Assembly criticized the regime’s provision of territory, Venezuelan national identification, and passports for members of the terrorist organization. Venezuela is also a permissive environment for the ELN and Hizballah sympathizers.