Venezuela’s representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) on Monday stormed out of a session of the 34-nation bloc, calling the meeting a “coup d’etat,” as regional pressure grew for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to fully restore democratic rule in the country.
The meeting of the OAS Permanent Council was called over the weekend by 20 countries, including the US, concerned about democratic erosion in Venezuela under Maduro.
In a controversial move last week, the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled that it was assuming functions of the opposition-led Venezuelan National Assembly.
Photo: Reuters
Critics viewed the ruling as a step toward dictatorship by Maduro’s Socialist Party, which has ruled for 18 years.
OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro has called for Venezuela to be expelled from the group, a move that would further isolate Maduro.
Member countries of the OAS could separately impose sanctions on Venezuela as a form of pressure.
Monday’s meeting was canceled at first, but the bloc began a session in the afternoon, despite objections from Maduro’s leftist ally Bolivia, which took the bloc’s presidency.
The meeting proceeded with Honduras as chair.
Venezuelan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America Samuel Moncada rejected a resolution condemning developments in Venezuela as an “act of treason.”
“The convening of this meeting is illegal, we reject it and denounce it to the whole world. This is a coup d’etat right here in the OAS,” he said.
Referring to the judiciary’s takeover last week of the legislature’s responsibility, which was later rowed back following an international outcry, Moncada said: “You’re imagining something that no longer exists so that you can promote intervention in Venezuela.”
The meeting later adopted a resolution calling on Venezuela to restore the full authority of the National Assembly, and to restore democratic order by exercising democracy and the rule of law under the constitution.
Venezuela’s opposition sought to keep pressure on Maduro’s government with scattered protests on Monday.
One group of protesters tried to block a major Caracas highway, while another dropped a pile of straw in front of court offices to protest the judiciary’s takeover.
Opposition Legislator Juan Requesens, of the Justice First party that is often at the forefront of protests, sustained a gash on the head after being hit by a stone during a fracas outside the public ombudsman’s office, witnesses said.
Protesters took live chickens there to symbolize cowardice, but were confronted by government supporters.
Opponents want to bring forward Venezuela’s next presidential election, scheduled for the end of next year, to try to end Maduro’s rule.
Maduro has said the US is leading a coup plot against his government.
One opposition party, COPEI, said in a statement that two of its members were arrested on Sunday and Monday.
Rights groups have said that more than 100 political leaders and activists are in jail, mostly on trumped-up charges.
Officials have said that all such individuals were imprisoned on legitimate criminal accusations.
Military intelligence agents picked up COPEI’s Roberto Enriquez and Eduardo Vetancourt and accused them of “rebellion” and “treason,” the party said.
“This is a fresh attack on those who think differently to the government,” it said in a statement.
Two military officers have also been detained, a local rights group said.
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