MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS fails to pass resolution calling for transparency in Venezuela

The Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council was one vote short Wednesday of passing a resolution to demand that Venezuelan electoral authorities publish the minutes of each voting table which would prove there was no fraud last Sunday when the incumbent Nicolás Maduro had been lawfully chosen for the 2025-2031 term.

The initiative, put forward by the United States, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay failed to reach the minimum of 18 endorsements with a final tally of 17 votes in favor, none against, 11 abstentions, and five absences.

The proposed text would have urged Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) to “immediately publish the results of the vote” at each polling station, in addition to “a comprehensive verification of the results be carried out in the presence of independent observation organizations to guarantee the transparency, credibility, and legitimacy of the results.”

The draft resolution also mentioned that “it is an absolute priority to safeguard fundamental human rights in Venezuela, especially the right of citizens to demonstrate peacefully without reprisals” while stressing “the importance of protecting and preserving all equipment used in the electoral process.”

The projected document also expressed the OAS' “solidarity with the Venezuelan people” and asked Maduro's regime to guarantee the security of diplomatic facilities and personnel residing in Venezuelan territory, including those requesting asylum in such facilities.

Those voting in favor were: Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, United States, and Uruguay.

Abstentions: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Grenada, Honduras, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia.

Not participating in Wednesday's session were: Dominica, Mexico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Permanent Council Chairman Ronald Sanders of Antigua and Barbuda explained that the representatives met for more than five hours to reach a consensus which was never achieved after disagreements over just one line.

Meanwhile, OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro said he would request the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant against Maduro, whom he found accountable for the ensuing “bloodbath” after Sunday's elections.

“It is time for Justice and we are going to request the indictment with an arrest warrant,” Almagro said during an extraordinary session of the OAS Permanent Council held in Washington, where he invited member states to join the petition.

Considering the investigation being carried out by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor into alleged crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela since 2014, the “time has come to file indictment charges against those most responsible, including Maduro,” Almagro argued. “Maduro announced a bloodbath and he is fulfilling it,” the Uruguayan diplomat insisted regarding the 17 demonstrators killed in the protests.

Maduro had warned of a “bloodbath” and “a civil war” if he was not reelected. “It was something impressive when he said it but it impresses me much more when he is doing it,” Almagro maintained.