OAS Begins Process to Suspend Venezuela over Maduro Re-Election Latin American Herald Tribune June 6, 2018
WASHINGTON – The Organization of American States rejected on Tuesday the recent re-election of the Venezuelan president and approved a resolution in its General Assembly to suspend Venezuela from the organization.
The resolution was launched by 14 countries of the Lima group and the government of the United States.
US Vice President Mike Pence urged 22 of the 34 active members of the OAS on Monday to vote to suspend Venezuela and returning “liberty” to Venezuelans living under the rule of President Nicolas Maduro.
Now the organization needs to hold an extraordinary general assembly attended by foreign ministers of the American states for implementing the suspension.
The proposal would require the support of 24 countries or two-thirds of the total members.
This is the first time that a resolution on the Venezuelan political crisis has been moved in a General Assembly, the most important political forum of the OAS, which concluded on Tuesday.
Although the resolution does not amount to Venezuela’s exit from the organization, it constitutes a formal agreement by members for its suspension, the biggest punitive measure available, which has only been applied to Cuba and Honduras in the 70-year history of the OAS.
The motion was passed with 19 votes in favor, including the US, the 14 countries of the Lima group, the Dominican Republic – a traditional ally of Caracas – as well as Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados.
Eleven countries abstained from the voice-vote, including long-time Maduro ally Nicaragua, which is also steeped in instability owing to anti-government protests that have left more than 100 people dead and around a thousand injured since April.
Four countries, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bolivia, Dominica and Venezuela itself, voted against the resolution.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza dubbed the resolution “a circus” scripted by Washington and underlined that Venezuela had already began the process to withdraw from the OAS in April.
Meanwhile, the OAS resolution criticized the Venezuelan elections of May 20, in which Maduro was re-elected as President.
It also urged Caracas to allow humanitarian aid in the country and restore the authority of the National Assembly, where the opposition enjoys a majority.
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