The Organization of American States (OAS) called an extraordinary session in Washington DC to address fraud electoral fraud committed by the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuelain the elections held last Sunday, July 28. At this meeting, Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier González-Olaechea traveled to represent the countryHowever, his presentation was marked by interruptions from supporters of Pedro Castillo, and he received a warning for his confrontational attitude.
The rejection of the resolution that required the regime of Nicolas Maduro immediate publication of the minutes of the presidential elections in Venezuela generated disagreement with the result and recalled that the electoral process was marked by irregularities.
He also made a distinction between the countries that voted in favor of this resolution and said that they are ’17 countries committed to democracy’. At that point, his speech was interrupted by a supporter of Peter Castillowho shouted for his freedom and attacked the president Dina Boluarte: ‘Freedom for President Castillo. Dina is a murderer. How can she talk about democracy if she has the constitutional president in prison?’
After that interruption, the foreign minister responded and expressed his displeasure to the president of the Permanent Council of the OAS for allowing the demonstration against Boluarte and clarified the situation of Peter Castillo.
Javier Gonzáles Olaechea revealed that he was asked to release Pedro Castillo: “I’m sending a plane for him”
After the harangues against Dina Boluartethe Minister of Foreign Affairs recalled that he came to the government as established by the Constitution and also revealed an offer he had to deliver to Peter Castillo.
“The constitutional president of my country assumed office in accordance with the process and the Peruvian Constitution. Furthermore, I am going to make this clarification, since the president has not established order in accordance with the regulations. There was an absent representative who, finding me in a corner at a meeting, told me: ‘The solution is very easy. Give me (Pedro) Castillo and I will send a plane for him. I have him in chat. I told him: OK, present me a verbal note that never arrived,’ he reported.
He then provided more details about the situation in which Pedro Castillo was detained and attacked the OAS officials who went to visit him after his arrest in 2022.
Foreign Minister criticizes members for voting to abstain. Photo: OAS
“When Mr. Castillo was arrested for flagrantly violating the Peruvian Constitution, he underwent all the medical examiner’s examinations. Not even Mr. Castillo’s wife said that he had been scratched. No one in the world was there, not even one person; however, four days later three commissioners from this organization arrived to verify Mr. Castillo’s state of health. ‘Political and ideological tourism,’ he accused.
Javier Gonzáles Olaechea on abstention votes: “We are not responsible for the deaths”
The Peruvian foreign minister continued his protest against the abstention vote of the other representatives and reflected on the consequences of this decision.
“We are proving our voters, our young people, who do not believe us, right, as are the politicians, the diplomats, the representatives, and the polls are there. They reject us, in many cases, to put it clearly, because we are not coherent,” he said.
He then clarified that the representatives who voted in favor of the initiative that sought to make the electoral process transparent in Venezuela They are not responsible for the deaths and the violence currently experienced in the country.
“So what’s going to happen tomorrow? Pressure on the streets will increase, there will be more deaths, it will be interpreted as a political victory for the regime. And the 17 of us who voted for those deaths are not responsible,” he added.
President of the OAS Permanent Council warns foreign minister over shouts and threats
President of the Permanent Council of the OAS calls the attention of the Peruvian foreign minister. Photo: OAS
After finishing his speech, the president of the Permanent Council of the OASRonald Sanders, who chaired the session, called the chancellor’s attention to the length of his speech and the way he expressed himself.
“For the first time in our organisation we have had a minister who has spoken more than any other delegation combined. We have shown a lot of tolerance, a lot of patience and a certain amount of accommodation, also listening to the minister’s comments for so long. We have heard him express himself in the way he has expressed himself. But I have to remind everyone present in the room that this is a multilateral organisation, which has member states, which are all equal and we have to show all the member states of this organisation, honourable foreign ministers, ministers, other representatives, respect,” he said.
Dina Boluarte Zegarra is also being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the so-called Rolex case. Photo: La República.
He then clarified to the Peruvian official that other members were free to vote as they wished and warned him about the effusive remarks he made when criticizing the abstention votes.
“Countries have the right to vote as they wish, including abstention if that is the wish of the delegation. They also have the right to vote against, just as they have the right to vote in favour of a resolution. Each member state has voted as they intended, given the circumstances in which we find ourselves today,” he said.
“This Organization of American States operates by these standards. Not by yelling. Not by banging on the table. Not by pointing fingers. And not by threatening. And we’ve heard all of that today. We’re still going to move on to the next speaker,” he added.
Congress supports the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Speaking to the press, Congress President Eduardo Salhuana said that Congress supports what Foreign Minister Javier González Olaechea said before the Organization of American States (OAS).
“The legislative power considers the statements and the staunch defense of democracy pertinent, because It was a principled defense that Foreign Minister Olaechea made at the OASand we feel fully identified,” he said.
Press release from the Congress of the Republic.
