Proposed condemnation of Venezuela falls apart at meeting of Organisation of American States (OAS)

A hostile motion to denounce Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was rejected by a meeting of the Organisation of American States (OAS), last Monday.

The proposal, co-sponsored by the US, Canada and Mexico, aimed to decry attempts by the Venezuelan government to convene a National Constituent Convention to redraft the country’s constitution. The resolution also maintained that President Maduro is in violation of democratic norms following clashes between the Supreme Court and National Assembly. The motion failed with fourteen opposing, eight supporting and eleven abstaining.

“We want to reach a unified resolution,” claimed Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray at a news conference. “(We need) to defend the values that unite us…in this specific case it’s the defence of representative democracy as the only form of government that should prevail in the American continent.”

Venezuela has previously criticised the OAS over similar proposals, insisting it will ignore any attempts to justify foreign intervention as allegedly took place during a 2002 coup that temporarily deposed then-President Hugo Chavez. The country is also in the process of leaving the OAS over earlier disagreements, having been absent from the meeting on Monday.

Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Bolivia also criticised the proceedings, expressing concern at presumed attempts by individual states to target Venezuela unfairly. Multiple Latin American governments continue to support Venezuela due to economic, social and political ties, as well as fears of renewed US hegemony.

President Maduro has attracted criticism at home and abroad over calls to convene a National Constituent Convention to draft a new constituent, subject to referendum. Opponents insist this is a cynical move to circumvent the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Supporters claim it’s an attempt to promote popular accountability and resolve political antagonisms.

The US imposed sanctions on multiple members of the Venezuelan Supreme Court last March, claiming they had violated democratic accountability by annulling the legislative authority of the National Assembly. Supporters of the Court maintain that the Assembly was attempting to intentionally sabotage budgetary reforms. The Court has since restored powers to the Assembly.

Venezuela has continued to suffer from wide-scale shortages of both food and medicine, prompting renewed protests from elements of the population loyal to opposition parties. In the past month, some fifty-five people are believed to have been killed and a thousand others wounded as demonstrations turn increasingly violent.