Nicaragua and Venezuela take center stage in OAS Assembly debate

Jose Carlos Mobile

Washington/Guatemala City, November 11 (EFE). The democracies of Nicaragua and Venezuela took center stage in the debate at the 51st General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Thursday, as the pandemic and the region’s economic recovery swept through. Minor issues remained.

The situation in both countries has practically monopolized the deliberations of the 34 member states of the regional body, which held its general assembly from 10 to 12 November with Guatemala as a hypothetical location for the event, despite Nicaragua’s persistent claims.

Following a draft resolution promoted by the representations of Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, that will be discussed on Friday, Michael Campbell, Nicaragua representative, Michael Campbell, said in the introduction to the plenary session of the regional body chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Pedro Prolo.

The proposed resolution on the “situation in Nicaragua” regrets that the Central American country has ignored the diplomatic and technical initiatives taken by the Organization of American States since June 2019 to promote “representative democracy and the protection of human rights”.

It also seeks to declare that last Sunday’s elections in Nicaragua, in which President Daniel Ortega was re-elected, “were not free, fair, transparent and did not have democratic legitimacy”, along the lines of “Nicaragua’s democratic institutions”. It has been seriously undermined by the government.”

However, Campbell stressed that the mandate of the Nicaraguan people was “renewed” in a free, transparent and sovereign manner by the vote of nearly 3 million Nicaraguans, on November 7, and we will continue to forge a future of peace, prosperity and prosperity.”

Canada among the critical voices of Nicaragua

During the session, Canada was one of the countries most critical of Ortega’s government, which on Sunday won an election questioned by the international community.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie confirmed that her country is “deeply concerned about what just happened in Nicaragua” in reference to last Sunday’s elections, which she called “unfair” and “have not been liberated by imprisoning opposition leaders, journalists and members of civil society.”

In response, the Nicaraguan representative rejected the Canadian representative’s “false statements” and reiterated that “Nicaragua respects itself.”

Campbell took this opportunity to recall that “the whole world watched with astonishment the discoveries of unmarked children’s graves” in Canada.

“It is estimated that between 1883 and 1996 more than 150,000 Indigenous boys and girls were separated from their families and sent to government corrections where they suffered all kinds of physical and sexual abuse, torture and even murder,” he said.

In the end, the Nicaraguan official wondered if “Can there be democracy without the full participation of indigenous peoples? Can there be democracy without justice for many indigenous families and communities?”

Objection to Guado and criticism of Venezuela

Venezuela also became a subject of controversy during the day, after Mexico, Bolivia and Argentina objected to the attendance of the representation of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and noted that Nicolas Maduro’s government announced its decision to leave that body in 2017.

The position of Mexico and Bolivia on the representation of Venezuela was joined by the representatives of Nicaragua, Argentina, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, who intervened during the credit verification round.

Since April 2019, Gustavo Tarre has been considered by the Organization of American States as the representative of Venezuela. That body declared Maduro’s current mandate illegitimate, which began in January of that year and will end in 2025.

Meanwhile, Colombia’s Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Carmelina Londono, made a statement that was supported by other countries expressing their “concern” over Venezuela’s “democratic regime change” and the “deterioration” of its regime. Economic institutions” and “humanitarian”.

Londoño called for the “investigation of crimes against humanity” and the “immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners” in Venezuela, as well as “the holding of free, fair and transparent presidential elections under reliable international monitoring.”

Guatemala is the host country for the 51st General Assembly of the Organization of American States, which is taking place for almost the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EFE

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