OAS Backs Venezuela Call For Dialogue, Against Intervention

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States unanimously adopted a resolution Wednesday opposing intervention and encouraging dialogue between lawmakers in Venezuela after the head of the regional bloc moved to invoke the so-called Democratic Charter against the South American country.

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“We reiterate our support for the various initiatives of national dialogue that will lead, under full respect for human rights, to a timely, prompt and effective solution to the differences and consolidation of representative democracy,” the OAS members said in the approved declaration on Wednesday night.

Venezuela’s representative to the OAS Bernardo Alvarez Herrera had submitted a proposal to suspend the meeting, on the grounds that its government had not been consulted. The Venezuela motion was supported by several OAS member countries including Bolivia and Nicaragua, which joined in calling on the body to respect Venezuela’s national sovereignty.

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The meeting was called after Argentina’s mission to the OAS requested an extraordinary session to discuss the current issues facing the South American country—a move Caracas had slammed as “foreign intervention,” especially after OAS head Luis Almagro published a 132-page document intended to justify the application of the bloc’s so-called Democratic Charter.

The final declaration, a merger between separate proposals submitted by Argentina and Venezuela, highlighted the need for dialogue and backed mediation by the Union of South American Nations or UNASUR, while also affirming respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty.

The motion angered Venezuelan opposition, who took to social media to lash out at Argentina’s backing of the declaration. “Argentina’s position at the OAS session is a shame,” opposition leader and National Assembly President Henry Ramos Allup tweeted. “At least Cristina was not hypocritical,” referring to former Argentine president and Venezuela ally Cristina Fernandez.

Alvarez concluded the session by acknowledging and thanking the effort of each delegation in reaching consensus on a motion. “We (Venezuelans) are used to live in the middle of extreme situations,” he added.

Almagro and Democratic Charter Move Criticized

On Tuesday, OAS general secretary Almagro issued a lengthy document which intended to initiate the so-called Democratic Charter against Venezuela. If approved by two-thirds of the group’s members, a state could be suspended from the bloc for breaking with democratic norms and rule of law.

Almagro is the first head of the OAS to activate the charter against a member state against the will of its government, a step he takes based on Article 20, which authorizes the secretary-general or any member state to call for an immediate Permanent Council meeting.

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The move was slammed by regional leaders including Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, who stated, “The call by the OAS secretary was not based on consensus. The other member countries of the OAS were not consulted. It is an opinion and attitude ‘sui generis’ of Diego Almagro, which is completely out of line.”

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez also criticized the move, arguing that the Democratic Charter cannot be applied to Venezuela. “We will not submit to any yoke,” she said. “In Venezuela, Almagro does not give orders.”

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A former Uruguayan foreign minister, Almagro has also been harshly critical of the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Earlier this month he stepped out of diplomatic protocol and penned a hostile letter to the socialist leader calling him a “petty dictator.”

Almagro was criticized by numerous delegations Wednesday, for both the form and tone of the letter to Maduro as well as for the “unilateral” method of attempting to initiate a process against the South American country.

The OAS head’s chief of staff was even prevented from speaking at the end of the session, and was told to “submit whatever you have to add in writing” by the Argentine representative on the Permanent Council.

Currently, the Venezuelan government and opposition leaders continue UNASUR-sponsored talks facilitated by former presidents Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic and Martin Torrijos of Panama, along with former prime minister of Spain, Jose Luis Zapatero.