Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Monday, July 03, 2017

Venezuela to quit Organization of American States

Venezuela has said it will withdraw from the Organization of American States in reaction to pressure from the bloc over the government's handling of the country's political crisis.

Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said the government would launch a two-year process to pull out of the Washington-based regional diplomatic grouping that it has been a member of for more than 65 years.

"Tomorrow, as President Nicolas Maduro has instructed, we will present a letter of complaint to the OAS and we will begin a process that will take 24 months," she said in a televised address on Wednesday.

Rodriguez said Maduro's administration has been forced to counter what it sees as an attempt by the OAS and conservative regional governments to topple Maduro.

The decision came a short while after envoys to the OAS approved a resolution convening a special meeting of regional foreign ministers to discuss Venezuela's crisis.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro has previously branded Maduro, an elected socialist, a "dictator" for stifling the opposition.

The opposition, demanding that Maduro call early elections, have staged daily rallies for weeks.

So far this month, at least 28 people have been killed in political unrest. Several of them have been shot in anti-government protests that have erupted into clashes with riot police.

Protesters returned to the streets for another day of protests on Wednesday. Riot police fired tear gas as thousands tried to march to downtown Caracas.

The country is in the middle of a crippling economic crisis that has led to high food prices and a lack of basic goods.

Maduro says the economic crisis is due to a US-backed capitalist conspiracy.

Rodriguez branded the OAS an "interventionist coalition" led by Washington.

"Venezuela will not take part in future in any activity or event where there is an intention to take a position of interventionism or interference," she said.

Original Article
Source: aljazeera.com
Author:  News Agencies

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