USA-OAS/ALMAGRO-FALKLANDS OAS wants to support democracy in Guatemala and Venezuela, adopts resolution supporting Argentina on Falklands

Record ID: 151480

  • Title: USA-OAS/ALMAGRO-FALKLANDS OAS wants to support democracy in Guatemala and Venezuela, adopts resolution supporting Argentina on Falklands
  • Date: 17th June 2015
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. (JUNE 15, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OAS DELEGATIONS LISTENING AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. (JUNE 16, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS ALMAGRO, OAS SECRETARY GENERAL, SAYING: "In all circumstances, on all occasions, to suspend the people's right of expression is not the best thing to do nor ask for in a democratic system.
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAAN22EML9YQZ49P6TLBCQUUS4J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As the Organization of American States adopts a resolution backing dialogue to settle the territorial dispute over the Falkland Islands, the new Secretary-General set an agenda to support democracy in the hemisphere with calls for timely elections in Guatemala and talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.
    Secretary-General Luis Almagro, who took office last month from outgoing Jose Miguel Insulza, faces a challenging situation with corruption scandals and violence threatening the frail democracies in a number of Latin American countries.
    In Guatemala, Congress is deciding whether to strip President Otto Perez of his immunity from prosecution to face investigation over corruption scandals that have battered his administration, rocked his cabinet and fuelled massive protests calling for him to step down.
    Almagro expressed concern about calls for Guatemala to postpone the first round of presidential elections, due to take place in September.
    "In all circumstances, on all occasions, to suspend the people's right of expression is not the best thing to do nor ask for in a democratic system. Democratic systems should respect constitutional timetables set for elections, they should assure the exercise of the same, and, in that, the OAS is committed to participate in the elections as observer in Guatemala and assure that the process before, during and after will be completely transparent. To us, that is fundamental," he told journalists at a news conference on the side of the general assembly session.
    Guatemalan Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Moscoso said that his government embraces democracy and welcomes different voices in the country's political process.
    "Guatemala is at an important crossroads for democratic consolidation. To come out strengthened. we are giving this the maximum attention so that the Guatemalan political system is strengthened for the common good. I am sure this objective will be achieved with the participation of all the political, economic, social, intellectual and academic actors, among others," he told the OAS General Assembly which was meeting in Washington, D.C.
    The corruption scandal triggered the resignation of the vice-president of the Central American nation, which is one of the world's most violent countries.
    But the violence that so characterises the Central American nations of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala is also threatening security and democracy in wealthier, larger nations.
    In Venezuela, massive 2014 political rallies were marked by fatal unrest that led the government of President Nicolas Maduro to jail opposition members on charges of inciting violence.
    The detentions of a number of opposition leaders, including Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma and former presidential candidate Leopoldo Lopez, have caused international concern about freedom of expression in the OPEC nation.
    Just last week, former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, a socialist, left Caracas without being allowed to visit the jailed opposition leaders who have held hunger strikes ahead of their court dates.
    Almagro admitted that the regional body is working to encourage the Venezuelan government to hold talks with the opposition.
    "We believe in the necessity of building bridges of dialogue between the Venezuelan government and opposition. We believe in participation, at the time of structuring solutions in the political system and democratic functioning in Venezuela. We want to be absolute guarantors regarding this," he said.
    At the 45th regular session of the general assembly, the OAS agreed to observe the 2015 elections in Haiti where legislative elections are scheduled for August 9 and the first round of presidential, municipal and local elections are scheduled for October 25.
    The body also agreed to support Argentina as it calls for the United Kingdom to enter into talks over the disputed Falkland Islands, which they refer to as the Malvinas.
    Britain defeated Argentina in a 1982 war over the South Atlantic islands and administers them as an overseas territory.
    Argentina says it is the rightful owner of the islands, a claim dating back centuries to the Spanish colonial era. The dispute has escalated in recent years with the discovery of oil and gas deposits with Argentina filling a lawsuit against drillers and Britain reinforcing its military presence.
    Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman thanked the OAS for its support.
    "I come once again to evoke the historic American solidarity and give our thanks for this steady hemispheric support to the definitive solution of the dispute over the sovereignty between Argentina and the United Kingdom through dialogue and negotiation," he said.
    "Argentina, like all the American nations, maintains the firm conviction that the construction of a fair international order in which all states, absolutely all of them, have the possibility of enforcing their rights, demands that resolutions adopted in this kind of organisation, be fulfilled effectively. It is incomprehensible that the United Kingdom, founder and permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council, does not fulfil the organization's resolution," he added.
    But Archie Young, the United Kingdom's observer to the OAS and the Deputy Director for the Americas and Head of South America Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said that if OAS members say they support democracy, they need to support a 2013 referendum in which the approximately 3,000 residents of the Falklands voted overwhelmingly to remain under British rule.
    "None of the statements of support to which Argentina and others have referred modify or dilute the obligation of nations to respect the legally binding principle of self-determination enshrined in the charter of the United Nations. This means that there can be no negotiations on sovereignty unless the islanders so wish. The 2013 referendum in which 99.8 percent of those who voted wanted to maintain their current status as a territory of the United Kingdom sends a clear message that the islanders do not want dialogue on sovereignty. Argentina should respect those wishes," he said.
    Argentina has said that Britain has occupied the Falklands and it is those occupants, with British roots, who are voting.
    Timerman also shot back that if the European Union wants to find democracy, free expression and human rights, it needs to look beyond its borders.
    "None of us who are sitting here have the right to go to the European Union and present our problems. None of us. None of us who is sitting here. I would like just once for the European Union to allow us to go there and talk like we, democratically, allow the observers to come here and give us their opinions. This is democracy. What we do here is democracy. What the European Union does is suppress the right of self-expression of countries like ours that also have controversies with the European Union and are silenced constantly, abusively, and they don't respond to what everyone says they defend which is free expression and human rights," he said.
    The OAS also passed a resolution to reform the organization which Almagro said would mean a restructuring of the organization to align secretariats and ministries to the body's four pillars, democracy, human rights, security and development.
    The OAS brings together 35 nations of the Americas and has granted permanent observer status to 69 states as well as the European Union.
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