- Title: Venezuelan FM lashes out after OAS holds regional meeting about Venezuela crisis
- Date: 1st June 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JUNE 1, 2017) (REUTERS) VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER DELCY RODRIGUEZ ENTERING ROOM AT FOREIGN MINISTRY FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DELCY RODRIGUEZ, VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING: "It's a disgrace. It's a disgrace that these faces who yesterday fired at our motherland ignoring their elementary functions as diplomatic officials who should respect international norms turn a blind eye to the terrible realities that are unfortunately in countries of our region." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DELCY RODRIGUEZ, VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING: "Has he no shame, the Mexican foreign minister (Luis Videgaray)? I think he is playing a role. I think he's carrying out a mandate. I don't know what they're going to pay him. I don't know what they've offered him in exchange. But one really must be very shameless to stand there and say what he has said about Venezuela without turning to see the reality of his country. And not just what he said - but he made things up and lied about Venezuela." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DELCY RODRIGUEZ, VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING: "Also there (at the OAS) was the head of Colombia's diplomatic corps. Well, if we talked about the truth in Colombia and the lies they want to say about Venezuela, they would be standing on the wrong foot." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DELCY RODRIGUEZ, VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING: "They talk a lot about the leadership of President Nicolas Maduro, of the leadership of the Bolivarian Revolution, of the leadership of the inclusive model regarding human rights. But what can Brazil say? Their de facto president (referring to President Michel Temer) does not even have 5% popularity in his country? Or what can President (Enrique) Pena Nieto say, the president of Mexico, whose acceptance rate, popularity rating does not even reach 11%?" RODRIGUEZ, OFFICIALS AND JOURNALISTS WALKING OUT
- Embargoed: 15th June 2017 19:31
- Keywords: Washington Cancun Delcy Rodriguez OAS
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016JG62X3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: THIS IS AN INITIAL EDIT CUT FROM A LIVE-U QUALITY SIGNAL. A FULL BROADCAST QUALITY EDIT OF THIS EVENT WILL FOLLOW AS 4234-VENEZUELA-POLITICS/FM-UPDATE
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez lashed out on Thursday (June 1) at the presidents and foreign ministers of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil after the three countries supported a measure at an Organization of American States foreign ministers' meeting on the crisis in Venezuela.
Rodriguez accused Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray of turning a blind eye to crime in Mexico, where international human rights organizations accuse police, soldiers and authorities of working with drug cartels to cover up murders.
She also accused Colombia of ignoring the violence in her country, that is just coming out of a six-decades old civil war that left over 200,000 dead and millions in exile.
Saying they had no right to criticize democracy in Venezuela, where the opposition has pushed for a recall election of Maduro, Rodriguez pointed out that Brazilian President Michel Temer and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto are deeply unpopular.
The much-anticipated Wednesday OAS meeting was eventually suspended to give delegates more time to hash out differences between two possible resolutions.
The resolution backed by Brazil, Colombia and Mexico sought to form a four-nation group to accompany Venezuela on negotiations between Maduro's government and the opposition. The other resolution, backed by the Bahamas and other Caricom nations, stressed non-intervention in the crisis.
Venezuela announced its withdrawal from the OAS in anticipation of the meeting which ministers said would reconvene before the June 19-21 General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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