Hello, Brazil and Argentina abstained on Friday, February 26, from supporting a statement by the Organization of American States (OAS) condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine during an extraordinary session, where Moscow and Kiev participated as permanent observers. In this statement, twenty-one members of the OAS “strongly condemn the illegal, unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and call for the immediate withdrawal of the military presence”. They also denounce “the illegal recognition by Russia of the republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, territories in the east of Ukraine, because this” represents a violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Brazil, through its ambassador to the OAS, Otavio Brandelli, declared that as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, it actively participates in the discussions within it and that it is very concerned about Russia’s decision to send ground troops. But Russia’s concerns “mainly concerning the balance of troops and strategic arms in the European context” must be taken into account, even if it “does not give the Russian Federation the right to use force and threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of another state”he added.
The representative of Argentina, Maria Cecilia Villagra, read the statement issued the day before by Buenos Aires expressing the “strongest rejection of the use of armed force and deeply regrets” the situation in Ukraine, without however signing the OAS declaration.
Bolivia is not among the signatories either, although it assured that“absolutely nothing justifies any form of violence or aggression when the regrettable loss of life is at stake”. No more than Nicaragua, unsurprisingly, which asked to leave the OAS in November and sided with Moscow.
The declaration was signed by Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, United States, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela (represented by a delegate from Juan Guaido, opponent of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro).