Guyana votes with majority at OAS to reject ‘legitimacy’ of Maduro’s new term

The Special Meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), which voted by majority on Thursday “to not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro’s new term” after his swearing in as president. (Juan Manuel Herrera/OAS photo)

Guyana was one of 19 members of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) that voted in Washington, DC on Thursday “to not recognize the legitimacy” of Nicolas Maduro’s new term as President of Venezuela.

The vote was on a resolution, sponsored by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru and the United States, arguing that since the OAS General Assembly declared that the May 20th, 2018 electoral process in Venezuela lacked legitimacy, new presidential elections, with all necessary guarantees of a free, fair, transparent, and legitimate process, should be held at an early date attended by international observers.

Up to last night, Georgetown was yet to issue a statement explaining its vote, which will be seen as the strongest stand taken at the OAS against Venezuela in recent years. It comes in the aftermath of a recent Venezuelan incursion into Guyana’s waters, which is believed to be a direct threat to the broad oil exploration and development works being undertaken by ExxonMobil in Guyana’s waters.