- Title: Fiery OAS meeting winds up in Cancun without Venezuela resolution.
- Date: 22nd June 2017
- Summary: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO (JUNE 21, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH VIDEGARAY AND ALMAGRO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OAS SECRETARY GENERAL LUIS ALMAGRO, SAYING: "In the week ahead we will update the report that we presented in March, the second report, with a status on the situation of repression in Venezuela, the increase in political prisoners, the killings, the systematic incidences on rights by the state and the complaints on the political conditions the country is going through such as the pre-trial of the main prosecutor and the with the military. These are institutional incidences that continue to take place and this status is being recorded." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTER LUIS VIDEGARAY, SAYING: "Rather than enter into debate on the situation in Venezuela, (Venezuelan delegation) preferred to attack and point out to any distraction. We have no doubt that is the response of the Venezuelan government, towards Mexico, to everyone else. What was clear in this meeting was that this is the attitude of this government with everyone. One day it is Chile, another day it is Brazil, another day it is Argentina. And also Mexico. But that is completely irrelevant in determining the position of Mexico towards Venezuela and our brothers and sisters in Venezuela." VIDEGARAY, ALMAGRO AND OFFICIALS LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 6th July 2017 04:24
- Keywords: Organization of American States Nicolas Maduro Delcy Rodriguez
- Location: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
- City: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0026MCYZIF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A fiery OAS General Assembly wound up in Cancun on Wednesday (June 21), with failure to pass a resolution on the Venezuelan crisis dominating the three-day talks.
The United States, Brazil and 10 other members of the 34-nation Organisation of American States (OAS) earlier in the week issued a letter accusing Venezuela of undermining democracy, failing to feed its people and violating rights.
It called for the release of political prisoners, respect for rights, an election timetable, a "humanitarian channel" to ship food and medicine, and the creation of a group or mechanism to help "effective dialogue among Venezuelans."
But the OAS resolution failed to get up due to opposition from smaller states close to Caracas. Twenty states voted to pass a draft, but 23 votes in favour were needed to approve the statement. Eight countries abstained from voting while five rejected the draft.
In response, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez sparred with her government's critics, lobbying criticism at other member states.
Earlier in the week, criticism of her government prompted Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez to call OAS critics "lapdogs of imperialism".
At a news conference after the assembly's conclusion, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said Rodriguez' criticism of the body and its members does nothing to solve the situation on the ground in Venezuela.
Venezuela earlier this year announced its intention of withdrawing from the OAS, a process which could reportedly take up to two years.
Peru will be the next host country for the 48th OAS General Assembly. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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