Venezuela's withdrawal from OAS, a free, sovereign decision in the face of imperial aggressions - MPPRE

Venezuela’s withdrawal from OAS, a free, sovereign decision in the face of imperial aggressions

With the advent of the Bolivarian Revolution in 1999, Venezuela did not only become an example for the peoples fighting for the vindication of their rights, it has also stood out in the world as a model of dignity and fight for the defense of sovereignty, independence and relations with other countries based on respect. In every scenario, Venezuela has defended these principles, even against imperial powers like the United States. April 27 was an historical day for the South American country’s peace and sovereignty as Venezuela made official its withdrawal from the Organization of American States (OAS) in a worthy response to the aggressions of this organization’s Secretary General Luis Almagro. The OAS carried out meddling and arbitrary actions against the sovereignty of Venezuela in recent years; therefore, the South American country expressed its withdrawal in 2017. Previously, on May 31, 2017, Almagro really juggled to invoke, in line with servile governments, the Democratic Charter against Venezuela, so President Nicolás Maduro denounced this conspiracy and turned to constitutional precepts to withdraw from the OAS and defend the nation from a military intervention. “I am proud to say that, in the exercise of my powers, I made the decision of withdrawing our homeland from the OAS and liberating our homeland from interventionism, from so much illegality, from so much abuse. We are free from the OAS, and we will never return.” Nicolás Maduro, 2017 In the meantime, this organization has turned a deaf ear to the repression of neoliberal governments against popular, progressive, left-wing movements, and to the murder of thousands of popular, peasant leaders and human rights activists. The process of Venezuela’s withdrawal from the OAS was undertaken by then Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez. The South American country marked the fate of an organization that crumbles due to spurious, meddling actions resulting from the alignment of the region’s right-wing governments, mentored by the OAS through the Donald Trump’s administration. “The OAS persisted in its meddling actions against the sovereignty of our homeland; therefore, we will withdraw from the organization. Our historical doctrine is framed in the Bolivarian Doctrine of Peace, and it has nothing to do with the OAS.” Delcy Rodríguez, 2017 The OAS, agent of intervention in Venezuela Shortly before the Bolivarian Government decided to withdraw from the OAS, extremist sectors of the Venezuelan opposition fostered an unprecedented escalation of violence in the country. Meanwhile, the OAS intensified its intervention in Venezuela’s domestic affairs in a flagrant violation of the organization’s Charter, thus provoking the historical decision of the Venezuelan Government. According to the OAS Charter, ” No State or group of States has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other State. The foregoing principle prohibits not only armed force but also any other form of interference or attempted threat against the personality of the State or against its political, economic, and cultural elements.” The sessions and resolutions proposed by the OAS encouraged violent protests between April and July 2017, seeking to topple the Bolivarian Revolution and resulting in the death of tens of people, some of whom were even burnt alive in the so-called “guarimbas,” not to mention property damage against public and private institutions. Likewise, an example of the OAS failure in its attempt to dominate Venezuela was the creation of the Lima Group, comprised by right-wing governments, monitored by the United States, that have systematically violated the OAS Charter by attacking the spirit of Venezuela’s political model, denying its institutions and legitimate rights exerted by the Venezuelan people through voting. These governments ignore in their narrative the abandonment, inequalities and asymmetries of their own people, who are victims of neoliberal discriminatory models. In contrast, they foster sanctions that harm the Venezuelan people. In the face of this situation, Venezuela stands up to take firm steps towards its peace and sovereignty. Noteworthily, the dictatorship imposed in the OAS represents a threat against peace and regional and international security. Therefore, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela warns the international community about future actions that this warmongering group is trying to take against Venezuelan in a flagrant violation of international law. The Bolivarian Government will continue developing its Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace to strengthen cooperation and friendly relations as the benchmark of the nation’s foreign policy, and it will reject imperial attacks against the Peace and Sovereignty of the Homeland and against the legacy of Supreme Commander Hugo Chávez.