Resolution against Nicolás Maduro fails to reach consensus in the OAS

MADRID, Spain.- In a extraordinary session held this Wednesday, July 31, the Organization of American States (OAS) The US failed to reach the necessary consensus to approve a resolution calling on Venezuelan authorities to publish “immediately” the minutes of last Sunday’s presidential elections. The vote, which required an absolute majority to be approved, ended with 17 votes in favor, 11 abstentions and the absence of five countries, thus rendering the proposal void.

The draft resolution, presented by the United States together with Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, demanded that the Nicolás Maduro regime publish the detailed results of each Electoral table and independent verification of the same. It also called for the protection of human rights, including the right to peaceful protest.

Division in the OAS

The proposal was supported by countries such as Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Suriname and Uruguay. On the other hand, countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Grenada, Honduras, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia opted to abstain, while five countries were not present at the vote.

Colombia justified its abstention by claiming that the OAS is not the appropriate setting to address the situation in Venezuela, since Caracas has not been part of the organization since 2019. Sources from the Colombian Foreign Ministry pointed out to the EFE agency that the government of Gustavo Petro is working together with Mexico and Brazil to create the necessary conditions for an agreement for coexistence and political peace in Venezuela.

During the session, Ronald Sanders, president of the Permanent Council of the OAS, confirmed the lack of consensus: “Comrades, the resolution has not been approved, and that has been the decision of the member states that have collectively voted today.”

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian A. Nicholsin his speech, stated that there is “irrefutable” evidence to declare the victory of the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutiain Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election. Nichols urged Maduro and other countries around the world to recognize Gonzalez’s victory and backed the validity of the voting records published by the opposition.

Contents of the draft resolution

The draft resolution rejected at the OAS session established several key points:

Recognition of the substantial and peaceful participation of the Venezuelan electorate.
Urge the National Electoral Council Venezuela to publish voting results at the polling station level and allow for comprehensive verification in the presence of independent observation organizations.
Declare the safeguarding of human rights in Venezuela as a priority, including the right to peaceful protest.
Protect and preserve all equipment used in the electoral process to ensure the integrity of the chain of custody of the results.
Express solidarity with the Venezuelan people and guarantee the security of diplomatic facilities and personnel residing in Venezuela, in accordance with international law.

A few hours after the National Electoral Council of Venezuela will announce the results of the presidential elections, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay demanded a complete review of the results with independent observers. The presidency of Costa Rica repudiated the proclamation of Nicolás Maduro, calling it fraudulent, and announced its collaboration with democratic governments and international organizations to respect the will of the Venezuelan people.

Argentine President Javier Milei said that his country did not recognize the fraud and that Venezuelan citizens have chosen to end Maduro’s dictatorship. From Chile, President Gabriel Boric and Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren condemned the results, demanding transparency and the participation of international observers. Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier González-Olaechea denounced the irregularities and stated that Peru would not accept the violation of the popular will.

The rejection of the initiative at the OAS gives political breathing room to Nicolás Maduro, who has deployed his repressive apparatus in the main cities of Venezuela. State security forces and armed groups known as colectivos have repressed the demonstrations with extreme violence. The protests, which began on July 29 in rejection of Maduro and his electoral fraud, have left at least 13 dead.

The Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, He assured this Wednesday that there will be no mercy for the more than a thousand people arrested during the protests. In a press conference, he reported that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has arrested 1,062 people after the election results were announced. Saab described the protesters as “delinquents” and “former prisoners” and claimed that they acted under the influence of drugs and for a few dollars.