Venezuela needs OAS action right now

(Photo: Susan Walsh – AP)

What a shame. The historic decision by Organization of American States chief Luis Almagro to call for an official regional discussion on Venezuela’s break with democratic rule may be derailed by a group of countries that say they support democracy, but are really buying time for the Venezuelan regime.

The group is led by Argentina, whose foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, in effect needs Venezuela’s backing for her bid to become Secretary General of the United Nations. It is proposing an alternative resolution that it says is supported by more than 20 of the OAS’ 34 member countries, and that in effect postpones the Almagro-proposed regional meeting.

The group’s draft resolution calls for giving more time to a mediation effort by former Presidents Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain, Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic and Martin Torrijos of Panama “to reopen an effective dialogue” between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

Malcorra had already told me that much in a recent interview . She said that she supports ongoing mediation efforts by Zapatero and South America’s UNASUR bloc to allow a recall referendum in Venezuela — which is allowed by the Venezuelan constitution — but that “the conditions are not there” for an OAS meeting under the group’s Democratic Charter to discuss the break with the rule of law in Venezuela.

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