Embajada de Venezuela en el Reino Unido@EmbaVenezUK
To the Spanish public and the Venezuelan community in the Kingdom of Spain
The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Kingdom of Spain addresses you with a profound sense of historical and ethical responsibility, in light of the statements recently made at a public event in the city of Madrid by citizen Carlos Baute, which constitute an unacceptable expression of hate speech.
Venezuela is a deeply mestizo nation, shaped by diversity and by the convergence of Indigenous, African, and European roots. This condition not only defines our identity but also constitutes one of the ethical pillars of our coexistence as a people. Any attempt to degrade, dehumanize, or stigmatize on the basis of that diversity represents a direct affront to the very essence of what it means to be Venezuelan.
The ideals of our Liberator, Simón Bolívar, stand firmly against all forms of domination, exclusion, and contempt among human beings. Therefore, the use of expressions that evoke historical practices of dehumanization and racism is not only morally reprehensible, but also politically regressive and deeply contrary to the values we uphold as a nation.
In this regard, the Embassy expresses its most sincere apologies to the people of Spain—who, in their own history, are familiar with the horrors of fascism and hate crimes—and to all those who may have felt offended by these statements. Such words do not represent the Venezuelan people or their culture, which is characterized by respect, solidarity, and human dignity.
It is even more serious when such expressions are directed against a woman, as they constitute a form of political violence grounded in misogyny and racism that cannot be justified under any circumstances. Referring to a woman as a “monkey” is an act of dehumanization incompatible with the principles of international human rights law and with the minimum standards of democratic coexistence.
Venezuela categorically condemns these actions and reaffirms that its women, as historical and political figures, cannot and will not be the target of hate speech, regardless of its origin.
Likewise, we strongly denounce any attempt to instrumentalize public spaces for the dissemination of messages of hatred, exclusion, or symbolic violence.
Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to the defense of the universal values of equality, respect, and justice, as well as to the promotion of a form of coexistence grounded in the recognition of diversity as a source of richness, not a basis for discrimination.
Madrid, April 19, 2026
Gladys Gutiérrez Alvarado
Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Kingdom of Spain
