PLP’s chairman criticises the lack of support for Venezuela’s new president

By RIEL MAJOR

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman and Senator Fred Mitchell has criticised the country’s decision to vote against the recognition of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro’s second term.

The Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States approved the resolution against the legitimacy of Mr Maduro’s new term on January 10, following a vote supported by 19 member states.

Mr Mitchell, former foreign affairs minister, said The Bahamas typically abstained from this type of resolution as it is generally viewed as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country.

According to the OAS, six members voted against, and there were eight abstentions and one member was absent.

“Typically, The Bahamas would abstain from such a vote,” said Mr Mitchell, “because the arguments in the past has been that this will be seen as an interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela, not withstanding the issues connected with the elections and the protest in the country.”

He continued: “The elections did take place and there is a de facto regime in charge in Venezuela. The Bahamas has now voted with other countries to say we do not recognise the election which took place and we do not recognise the second term of Maduro in Venezuela.”

In June last year, the OAS General Assembly declared Venezuela’s May 20 election lacked legitimacy and failed to comply with international standards.

Its January 10 resolution highlighted the alleged illegitimate electoral process, and deep concerns about the “worsening political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela resulting from the breakdown of democratic order and serious human rights violations in that state.”

It called for national dialogue on a new presidential elections that had the participation of all political actors, and guaranteed a free, fair, transparent, and legitimate process with international observers.

This week, Mr Mitchell said: “The Bahamas needs an explanation from our government as to why they thought it was important enough to do this, as supposed to joining what would be the usual position of our country in positions like this which is either to abstain, or to be absent from the vote, or to vote against. So we are asking from the PLP side for the foreign minister to give us an explanation as to why this vote took place.”

He said: “It is a very serious thing when you say you don’t recognise a country’s internal dealings and does it now mean that the next step is that we are going to break diplomatic relations with Venezuela because that seems to be the logical step given what has happened.”

Comments

pingmydling says...

Fweddy we understand that your knowledge of foreign affairs is somewhat limited.
( How many times did you go on those fully paid up foreign junkets???)
Please try to listen and understand----- The corrupt, human rights abuser now in control
of Venezuela ( that is your buddy Nicholas Maduro) has been condemned by every other
Latin American, Central American (except Nicaraguan Ortega--another friend of yours),
Caribbean and North American leaders.
Now poor old Fweddy wants to stand alone and suck up to Maduro ---good luck with that.
Why don't you visit ( not on we expense though). They have some great prison cells and
torture chambers in Caracas. Shall I make you a reservation?

Posted 21 January 2019, 2:09 p.m. Suggest removal

Kalypsoisland says...

Thank you, Mr. Mitchell, for speaking up.

What if Joe Blow stood in Rawson square and announced that he was now Prime Minister of the Bahamas and had the full backing and support of the U.S... the U.S. bringing w it all its financial and military tactics of coercion for Bahamians to accept the U.S. backed unelected Joe Blow? Well, we don't have oil so I guess we're safe...for now!! I always suspected Minnis was following the Trump play book. This only confirms my suspicion. Bahamas has no right to interfere w the internal affairs of another nation. Nor has it the right to claim that elected officials of another country are illegitimate. Nor has the Bahamas any right to participate in a coup d'état.

Posted 24 January 2019, 8:37 p.m. Suggest removal

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