- Countries in the region expressed their concern about the “human rights crisis” and demanded the publication of the minutes | Photo: EFE/ Juan Manuel Herrera
The Organization of American States (OAS) reached a consensus on Thursday, August 16, on the situation in Venezuela. Representatives of member countries expressed their different positions on what is happening in the country.
At this meeting, a resolution was approved demanding that the Venezuelan authorities publish the minutes of the elections held on July 28 in that country “expeditiously.”
“Let us show the people of Venezuela that they are not alone,” said the United States ambassador, Frank Mora, at the beginning of the session.
For his part, the representative of Uruguay, Washington Abdala, referred to the published report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on August 15, in which they described the practices in Venezuela as “state terrorism.”
“The serious thing about this, when we are facing state terrorism, is that some people interpret human rights in one way when they happen in some places and when they happen in others, they read them in another way. They are the same human rights, they are the same people who are giving their lives, sacrifices and everything. Do you think there are 8 million Venezuelans who went out to do tourism around the world?” he asked the representative of Uruguay.
#16Ago | The representative of Uruguay at the OAS went viral on social media for his intervention during the extraordinary session in which he congratulated the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for not “beating around the bush” and mentioning that the Venezuelan government… pic.twitter.com/2GN9kakBUb
— The Daily (@eldiario) August 16, 2024
He also said that “dictatorships” go away with pressure and not with “congratulations or rhetoric.”
They questioned the results of the CNE and recognized Edmundo González
Canadian representative Stuart Savage expressed concern about the lack of transparency of the National Electoral Council (CNE) in the presidential elections.
“Venezuelan authorities must respond to credible reports of irregularities and wide discrepancies between official results and other methods of vote analysis such as panel of experts of the United Nations (UN),” he added.
For its part, Ecuador reiterated its recognition of Edmundo González Urrutia. It also supported the “peaceful and democratic demonstrations of the Venezuelan people.”
“The government of Ecuador expresses its recognition of Edmundo González as the legitimate winner of the presidential elections in Venezuela (…) This recognition is based on respect for the legitimate will of the people of that nation,” he said.
#16Ago | “The government of Ecuador expresses its recognition of Edmundo González as the legitimate winner of the presidential elections in Venezuela,” said the country’s representation at the OAS during its speech.
🎥: @VPITVpic.twitter.com/1woo54IVzC
— The Daily (@eldiario) August 16, 2024
Human rights violations in Venezuela denounced
Representatives from Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Guatemala expressed their concern over human rights violations.
“Our president has stated, bluntly, that serious human rights violations are being committed, with people who demonstrate being repressed,” said Chilean ambassador Sebastián Kraljevich Chadwick.
#16Ago | The representative of Chile at the OAS assured that his country “has no doubts” about what is happening in Venezuela. “Our president has pointed out, without beating around the bush, that serious violations of human rights are being committed, repressing people who demonstrate and initiating… pic.twitter.com/UO3XwNQtVP
— The Daily (@eldiario) August 16, 2024
In the case of Paraguay, he called for the “protection of Human Rights in Venezuela, including the right to peaceful protests.”
He also asked all actors in the country to avoid actions that could deepen the crisis in Venezuela.
“We ask all Venezuelan social and political actors, particularly the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, to avoid actions that could deepen the crisis,” he added.
Meanwhile, Guatemala’s representative, Claudia Escobar, described what is happening in Venezuela as “a human rights crisis.”
“The human rights crisis marked by arbitrary arrests, persecution and lack of guarantees has limited the ability of Venezuelans to participate in political life,” he added.
For its part, Argentina considered that there is a “use and abuse of the State’s repressive apparatus to perpetuate itself in power.”
#16Ago | The representative of Guatemala at the OAS warned that there is a “human rights crisis” in Venezuela, which is dominated by “arbitrary detentions, persecution and lack of guarantees.”
🎥: @VPITVpic.twitter.com/gTxJCNCLUU
— The Daily (@eldiario) August 16, 2024
The OAS resolution
Following the session, the OAS reached a consensus and approved a resolution demanding that Venezuelan authorities publish the minutes of the July 28 elections in that country “expeditiously.”
The non-binding text was submitted on behalf of the United States, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Suriname, and Antigua and Barbuda as co-sponsors.
It also calls for “respect for the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty through impartial verification of the results that guarantees the transparency, credibility and legitimacy of the electoral process.”
His call joins the one that also carried out this Friday by the countries of the European Unionincluding Spain, and 22 other countries, in favor of the “immediate publication of all the original minutes”
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2024-08-17 15:15:16
