The Organization of American States headquarters in Washington DC, USA, on September 22, 2023. Photo: Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela’s foreign affairs minister, Yván Gil, stated that the Organization of American States (OAS) lacks authority to comment on Venezuela’s internal affairs; furthermore, he reiterated that Venezuela is not a member of this organization. Minister Gil’s statements were issued in response to interventionist claims by the current head of OAS, Suriname diplomat Albert Ramdin.
Ramdin had written the following on social media: “Venezuelan authorities must ensure that the processes for appointing the attorney general and the ombudsman meet minimum standards of transparency, merit, and citizen participation… The appointment of authorities who offer credible guarantees of independence for all sectors of society can represent a fundamental step towards national reconciliation and a democratic transition.”
Gil said that it is “deeply dissonant that an official of that body would presume to comment on processes that correspond exclusively to the Venezuelan people and their constitutional order.”
This regional organization, long considered an appendage of the US Department of State, did not emit any protest after the criminal US strikes on Venezuela on January 3, which resulted in the murder of more than 100 Venezuelans and the illegal abduction and imprisonment of Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Deputy Cilia Flores.
Minister Gil also noted that Ramdin’s statements were reminiscent of “the nefarious legacy of his predecessor Luis Almagro,” who was known for his aversion to the Venezuelan government and for supporting the Venezuelan far-right. Minister Gil reiterated that “Venezuela will continue its course of self-determination, an inalienable right of its people.”
In 2017, President Nicolás Maduro formally announced Venezuela’s withdrawal from the OAS. The legal process of Venezuela’s departure from the international organization—known by many as the US Ministry of Colonies—was finalized in 2019, based on the fact that the then-secretary general, Luis Almagro, interfered recurrently in Venezuela’s internal affairs.
The Venezuelan parliament reported last Friday that it received 21 new applications—18 for the position of ombudsperson and three for attorney general. Simultaneously, it announced the extension of the deadline for the selections, aiming at reaching unanimity in the Constitutional process despite the overwhelming Chavista majority in parliament.
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Among the new candidates is journalist Vladimir Villegas, brother of former Minister of Culture Ernesto Villegas, who had initially also registered for the same position but ultimately withdrew from the process following opposition criticism. Former opposition deputy Marialbert Barrios is also on the list of candidates for ombudsperson. In total, there are 78 applications for this position and 76 for attorney general.
Analysts claim that it is highly improbable that the popular United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which has dominated elections for the last 27 years, will allow the far-right Venezuelan opposition to have one of its sympathizers in the Attorney General’s Office; however, it is possible that it will allow it in the case of the Ombudsperson’s Office.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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