Tuesday, at the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), Secretary General Luis Almagro circulated a report recommending the suspension of Venezuela of the Organization and requiring "general elections without delay and at all levels" in this country, hhat caused a strong reaction from Harvel Jean-Baptiste, Ambassador of Haiti to the OAS...

Extract from the intervention of Haiti :

"[...] Mr President,

[...] With such recommendations, the Secretary-General has not only exceeded his prerogatives, he has also committed an inadmissible disregard for the fundamental principles enshrined in the Charter of the Organization.

Indeed, should we recall that under Article 1 of the Charter of the OAS 'The Organization of American States has no powers other than those expressly conferred upon it by this Charter, none of whose provisions authorizes it to intervene in matters that are within the internal jurisdiction of the Member States'.

Similarly, according to Article 2 and 3 of the Charter, the OAS gives itself the principles of 'to promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention;' and to 'respect for the personality, sovereignty, and independence of States'.

In these circumstances, we are deeply dismayed that the Secretary General of the OAS can only think of calling for 'he convening of general elections without delay and at all levels', in a Member State of the Organization, with a President-in-Office whose term of office runs until 2019!

[...]

The time is serious. It goes far beyond the question of Venezuela. The actions of the Secretary-General are weakening our Organization. His actions do not reassure us at all in terms of peace and stability in the region. If we allow the Secretary-General, as he does, to interfere unreservedly in the internal affairs of a country and to the detriment of the principle of respect for the sovereignty of States, soon Haiti and other countries in the region will be those that will also be victims of the same drift from the Organization.

From this perspective, what is happening at the OAS at this very moment, augurs the dark days for the Hemispheric Organization and for our region. The Organization of American States has never been so divided. The convening of a meeting of the Permanent Council to discuss the situation of a member state under the threat of suspension of this State, and by trying to push ahead with an early election against an elected President, all this makes us fear the implementation of an agenda that does not correspond to the spirit or the letter of the Charter of our Organization [...]"

HL/ HaitiLibre