The vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez. File photo.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez called out the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, for his interventionist comments on the Essequibo region. The region is disputed between Venezuela and Guyana.
“Venezuela has always defeated you and will continue to do so,” Vice President Rodríguez wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, September 23, referring to Almagro. “You are a shameful stain for our region. You have participated in coups d’état, economic wars, and corruption. You are the godfather of regional extremism and the perverse mind of lawfare. Venezuela will hold its referendum for the defense of its rights over the Essequibo territory in accordance with our Constitution and international legality. Nothing will stop it. And your plans of aggression against Venezuela directed by Exxon Mobil will be defeated! Venezuela will always win!”
.@Almagro_OEA2015 Venezuela siempre te ha derrotado y seguirá haciéndolo. Eres una mancha vergonzosa para nuestra Región. Has sido partícipe en golpes de estado, guerras económicas y corrupción fecunda. Padrino del extremismo regional y mente perversa del lawfare. Venezuela… https://t.co/dPM93gFAud
— Delcy Rodríguez (@delcyrodriguezv) September 23, 2023
Rodríguez’s statement was in response to an official statement issued on Saturday by the OAS, in which its Secretary General Almagro questioned the National Consultative Referendum announced by the Venezuelan National Assembly on the territorial dispute with Guyana. Almagro also expressed his support for Guyana in its bid to appropriate the disputed maritime area of the Essequibo, which is rich in oil reserves and eyed by Exxon Mobil and other transnational oil corporations.
National Assembly Approves Call for Referendum on Venezuela’s Rights over Essequibo
National referendum on Essequibo defense
On Thursday, September 21, the National Assembly of Venezuela unanimously approved the call for a consultative referendum so that the Venezuelan people can reinforce the nation’s inalienable rights for the defense of the Essequibo, given the recent interference of the United States in the disputed territory.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez requested an Urgency Motion to propose a “national consultation in defense of an indissoluble part of the sacred soil of the homeland” per the provisions of Article 79 of the Rules of Procedure and Debates of the Parliament and Article 71 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
In 2019, Venezuela withdrew from the OAS due to the organization’s constant support for and direct participation in coup attempts against the constitutional government of President Nicolás Maduro.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
