Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez
said her country's decision was based on dignity and sovereignty
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy
Rodriguez presented the official letter Thursday to start the process
for the country to pull out of the Organization of American States,
which she said was attempting to intervene and promote a coup in
Venezuela.
"Today we formalize and
present the letter to definitely pull out of this organization,"
said Rodriguez in a press conference from the Foreign Ministry's
office in Caracas. "We will defend the self-determination of
our people."
Rodriguez said the move was based
on a question of dignity and that President Nicolas Maduro's
decision, which was taken to defend Venezuela from arbitrary abuses
and illegal actions carried out by the OAS against the country, had
been both praised and respected.
"Today is a day of victory
for Venezuela, we woke up today freer and more independent,"
the foreign minister continued.
Rodriguez criticized OAS
Secretary-General Luis Almagro, accusing him of responding to U.S.
interests to destabilize Caracas, adding that the organization has a
historical precedent of promoting interventions, coups and invasions
in the region.
Almagro has repeatedly called for
the Democratic Charter to be applied against Venezuela, which would
have lead to its suspension from the organization.
"When I wake up in the
morning, I am happy to say I do not have to call Washington to tell
me what to do," she said, referring not only to Almagro, but
also other foreign ministers in the region who supported him in
promoting actions against Venezuela.
Rodriguez slammed the organization
for its hypocrisy of constantly criticizing the political and
economic crisis in Venezuela while turning a blind eye to human
rights abuses in other countries.
Article 143 of the OAS Charter
states that any member state can choose to leave the group by means
of a written communication to the secretary-general and after two
years from the date on which the general secretary receives the
notification, the state shall be removed from the organization.
Venezuela's decision comes after
the OAS's Permanent Council agreed Wednesday to convene a meeting of
foreign ministers to discuss Venezuela, with 19 votes in favor, 10
against, one abstention and one absence.
The Community of Latin American
and Caribbean States, known by its Spanish acronym CELAC, will meet
May 2 at Caracas' request to address "threats against the
constitutional order in Venezuela, as well as the interventionist
actions undermining its independence, sovereignty and its right to
self-determination," said Rodriguez.
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