OAS says Venezuela must stop April’s presidential elections: Suriname supports Venezuela

The Organization of American States (OAS) urged Venezuela to postpone April’s presidential elections and guarantee a “just and free” process with international oversight.

The organization on February 23 passed a resolution with 19 member countries voting in favor. Five countries voted against the measure, eight refrained from participating and two were absent. Venezuela and Bolivia were the only countries that vehemently rejected the call to this session, according to Venezuela’s newspaper El Nacional. The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted on Friday, February 23, by 19 votes in favor, 5 against, 8 abstentions and 2 absences, the Resolution on the Latest Events in Venezuela. Venezuela, Suriname, Bolivia, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines reportedly voted against the resolution.

“The objective is to reignite a wave of violence from (the Organization of American States),” Samuel Moncada, Venezuela’s representative to the UN, said. “And there are so many problems in the region, (such as) the case of Honduras (and claims of electoral fraud in that country), which was never mentioned here.”

The resolution stipulates that Venezuela’s presidential elections on April 22 do not allow the realization of a ‘transparent, legitimate, credible and democratic’ process and has called on Caracas to reconsider the premature call for a presidential race, in hopes of including all parties. In January, the president said he was ready to be re-elected in this year’s elections after the Constituent Assembly announced the presidential poll would be held in April. Most of the opposition figures, however, are barred, jailed or exiled, while some others had ruled out any option to be in the race because they deem it fraudulent. Following the opposition’s refusal to participate, Maduro on Thursday called for a “mega-election” that could wipe out the opposition-run legislature and allow him to tighten his grip on the country. The announcement spurred a flurry of protests from other politicians.