Until now, the Vatican had not officially commented on the elections in Venezuela. But they broke the ice with a statement by the permanent observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States or OAS. The diplomat spoke at an extraordinary and urgent session convened to address the situation.
JUAN ANTONIO CRUZ SERRANO
Permanent Observer to the OAS (Holy See)
The Holy See agrees with what has been expressed by the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference in its statement, in which it recognizes the democratic vocation of the Venezuelan people, as demonstrated by the massive, active and civic participation of all Venezuelans in the electoral process.
The “electoral verification” that Venezuelan bishops demanded was also the central focus of the OAS meeting, which described what happened in the country as “an outrageous manipulation.” The Secretary General even called for the International Criminal Court to arrest Venezuelan President Maduro.
LUIS ALMAGRO
Secretary General of the OAS (Uruguay)
It is a case of premeditation, malicious intent, brutal and vicious drive and superior advantage…It is time for justice. We are going to request these charges with an arrest warran.
The objective of the OAS meeting was to vote on a resolution demanding Maduro release the official results of the election.
Eighteen votes were needed. There were no opposing votes and 17 countries, including the United States and Argentina, voted in favor. There were 11 states, including Brazil and Colombia, who abstained from voting.
RONALD SANDERS
Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OAS
Today, we were on the verge of reaching a consensus resolution on Venezuela. But, we did not succeed because of people's inflexibility on one point.
The Vatican could not vote as an observer, but it did make its position clear. It called for dialogue to reach fair agreements that do not affect the civilian population.
JUAN ANTONIO CRUZ SERRANO
Permanent Observer to the OAS (Holy See)
The Holy See considers that the expression of different positions and claims should be carried out with the peaceful attitudes of respect and tolerance, which have prevailed up to now. The Vatican retains that only dialogue and the active and full participation of all political actors involved in this process can lead to overcoming the present situation.
Tensions in Venezuela continue to rise. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets following the election to demand the admission of electoral fraud.
CA
TR: KG
