With an eye on Venezuela and Nicaragua, the OAS begins its general assembly in Lima

With the focus on inequality in the region and the crises that Venezuela and Nicaragua are going through, this Wednesday the 52nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) was inaugurated in Lima, after two years interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The situation in Venezuela and Nicaragua will be addressed on the agenda of the OAS General Assembly. On both issues, Secretary General Luis Almagro was consulted the same Wednesday in a conference with the Peruvian and foreign press.

Almagro responded regarding the meeting that the new Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva maintained with the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday in Caracas, which means a formal rapprochement between the two countries.

“We hope that, obviously, the best results will always emerge from that, and that it will bring total peace for Colombia, as the Colombian government wants, and democracy for Venezuela, as the Venezuelans want,” he mentioned.

In addition, the diplomat referred to the request made by several member countries to withdraw recognition of the president in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó.

“Meeting the Ambassador [de Antigua y Barbuda]Sir Ronald Sanders, we must always expect from him a document with great precision and great depth as we are accustomed to. Therefore, we recognize the right of the member countries of the organization to raise these issues,” he added.

Almagro said that this and other issues will be decided by vote. He added that when there is a discussion between the countries they always let the debate flow naturally, so that it is done in the best way and in the most constructive way.

Finally, the OAS Secretary General also responded to the case of Nicaragua, which “definitely has distanced itself” from the regional organization and that the difficulties in dealing with political issues with the “regime” of this country “have been increasing.”

“The regime has definitely distanced itself from the organization in this regard and the difficulties in working on these issues have been ‘in crescendo,'” he said.

At the close of this report, the number of political prisoners in Nicaragua amounted to 250.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights required the Daniel Ortega regime to release 43 people who had presented measures before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to regain their freedom.

Castillo and the fight for equality

The more than 30 countries of the American hemisphere that gathered in the capital of Peru did so to celebrate this edition under the motto ‘Together against inequality and discrimination‘.

In his opening speech, Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said that holding the OAS assembly represents an opportunity to include the reduction of social gaps, equity, and the full exercise of human rights on the agenda. Therefore, he indicated that he will present a draft declaration that will be voted on this Friday.

“We have the objective of guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities for the great majority such as women, working classes, indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples who demand better conditions and eradicate discrimination,” said the Peruvian president.

Earlier, Castillo participated in a dialogue between the OAS delegations and members of civil society. In this forum, several organizations discussed proposals to improve the conditions of labor unions and indigenous peoples, the projection of initiatives to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities, and the right to free abortion.

On the last point, in the room there were members of institutions that were for and against the legalization of abortion. In passages of the session, the green and blue handkerchiefs added color to the environment. Outside, in addition, there were protests from conservative groups that reject the OAS for having a progressive agenda.

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