WASHINGTON/ESPECIAL.–After intense negotiations, the OAS resolution, endorsed by Argentina, Chile, the United States, Paraguay and Uruguay, which sought to request the publication of the detailed results of the presidential vote in Venezuela, endorsed by Argentina, Chile, the United States, Paraguay and Uruguay, to allow the presence of observers to guarantee the “legitimacy” of those elections, was not approved because it did not reach the necessary 18 votes.
Brazil, Bolivia and Colombia abstained from voting and Mexico was absent.
“We do not accept this farce, we must be able to distinguish between right and wrong,” said Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino after the initiative urging the Nicolás Maduro regime to publish the results by electoral table and carry out a comprehensive verification with independent observers failed to see the light of day.
Foreign Minister Mondino told DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS exclusively that they were very concerned about the situation in Venezuela.
“According to the opposition and all the information already circulating on the web, it is clearly demonstrated that the winner has been Mr. Edmundo González, so the concern is that something so obvious is not recognized.”
Mondino made it clear that the resolution was not intended to interfere in the internal affairs of another State, but she expressed surprise at the attitude taken by Venezuela towards many Latin American countries by asking them to withdraw their diplomatic personnel, considering this action to be unusual.
The issue of violence is also a concern for the Argentine foreign minister, given the number of deaths caused by the election. “This frankly creates a conflict between Maduro and society. It is the attitude of a dictator. It is not easy to understand.”
For his part, the Foreign Minister of Peru Javier González-Olaecheawho had a heated speech during the afternoon due to the lack of consensus to pass the resolution, told this newspaper: “One goes from disappointment, after seeing the double discourse of countries that vote to abstain, others against and others not even coming, to optimism. Those of us who are true democrats have a mission to fulfill in America, today it is called Venezuela and we will not spare legal efforts so that freedom and democracy prevail, as approximately 70% of Venezuelan voters voted, considering that millions abroad were not allowed to vote. So I admire the Venezuelan resistance and the only thing I can tell them is not to give up, not to stop fighting, that all evil has its end.”
Ecuadorian Foreign Minister María Gabriela Sommerfeld, who was also part of the group of five foreign ministers present, expressed disappointment at the lack of agreement. on principles as important as the defense of democracy and respect for the will of Venezuelan citizens in their elections.
“What is being asked for? That there be transparency, that there be a vote count with observers so that it can be certified; that what is announced is what the citizens ask for or what the citizens voted for. That under the basic principles of transparency and the defense of democracy we cannot reach an agreement is sad, but at the same time it is good for the Venezuelan citizens to know that there are many countries that do defend these principles and that this is a multilateral forum where different positions are presented, discussed, debated and hopefully justice can soon be done for the Venezuelan citizens.”
For Stephen Donehoo, political analyst at McLarty Associates, it is very important that the foreign ministers of Paraguay, Peru, Panama, Argentina and Ecuador have traveled to Washington on such short notice to participate in the meeting.
“I think that what the foreign ministers of the different countries have said is that they have agreed that Venezuela should show with facts the real results of the election that took place last Sunday and I think it is unfortunate that due to the lack of a vote they were unable to establish some fundamental points of democracy in the Americas. The great majority of countries have declared themselves in favor of transparency in the elections in Venezuela and that should encourage Venezuelans because they have support from almost the entire hemisphere and the current leaders of Venezuela should take seriously the words that all their counterparts have said.
“Based on what observers like the Carter Center have said, the numbers don’t add up,” Donehoo said.
The permanent representative of the United States to the OAS, Frank Mora, said he was not satisfied with the result of the vote, where only 17 members supported the resolution.
“I think it is regrettable considering what is happening in Venezuela right now, however, it does not mean that the OAS is going to stop doing its job, we are going to continue because we are not going to abandon the Venezuelan people.”
Mora said that his government will soon announce some measures that will demonstrate the United States’ commitment to democracy and the Venezuelan people.
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols was also at the OAS, where he used his speech to call on Nicolás Maduro and foreign governments to recognize Edmundo González as the winner of the elections, suggesting that the Venezuelan electoral body (CNE) has not published the results based on the minutes because it either refuses to recognize González’s victory or because it is seeking to gain time to falsify them.
The former mayor of El Hatillo in Venezuela, David Smolanski, and now coordinator of the working group in charge of the Venezuelan migration crisis, was in the Organization from where he told us that he hoped that the countries of the region would support the Venezuelan people.
“Let the region be part of this epic event when Venezuelans overwhelmingly elected Edmundo González as president of Venezuela. Today there is no doubt that we won. It was a beating that occurred despite all the obstacles that the regime put in place during the campaign with the use of force as Maduro has been using since Monday morning.”
Smolanski also called for protection for the Venezuelan people, given that at least 25 people have died and 177 people have been arbitrarily arrested.
“We have come to ask for protection for our colleagues from the campaign command who are in the Argentine embassy, as well as for María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, and for the international community to support us in a peaceful and orderly transition. A transition to democracy in Venezuela because that not only benefits the country but the entire region.”
While the meeting was taking place inside the OAS, a group of Venezuelans gathered outside the regional organization despite the persistent rain that was falling. While they were waving flags and banners, they could hear the chants “You see it, you feel it, Edmundo President.”