Venezuelan Foreign Minister: ‘Racist’ Criticism of Dictatorship ‘a Kind of Lynching’

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro’s foreign minister has blasted a resolution approved by the Organization of American States (OAS) criticizing recent events in the South American country as an effort to “incriminate and condemn Venezuela in a kind of lynching.”

The resolution declares:

The decisions of the Supreme Court of Venezuela to suspend the powers of the National Assembly and to arrogate them to itself are inconsistent with democratic practice and constitute an alteration of the constitutional order of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  Notwithstanding the recent revision of some elements of these decisions, it is essential that the Government of Venezuela ensures the full restoration of democratic order.

During a meeting held by the OAS Permanent Council Wednesday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez denounced the organization’s move approved Monday as an “interventionist plan against Venezuela.”

She claimed that the international body acted in a “disrespectful, classist, [and] racist” manner.

Rodríguez also argued that the resolution had been approved during an “illegal” meeting.

The OAS moved to overrule the decision of the chair to cancel the meeting on Monday, scheduled to discuss the recent events in Venezuela amid calls to invoke the organization’s Democratic Charter against the nation.

Other OAS member states, namely Venezuelan allies Bolivia and Nicaragua, have also deemed the session illegitimate.

Nevertheless, the organization reported that the resolution had been adopted by “consensus.”

“We do not recognize this supposed consensus, we do not recognize the resolution that hides, in bad faith, events that have occurred,” declared the foreign minister.

Rodríguez declared the April 3 session “inadmissible and nefarious,” arguing that Maduro has followed the country’s laws and constitution, which she said grants the socialist leader the authority to control public powers.

“Venezuela is not under the tutelage of anyone, any organization, nor any foreign state,” she proclaimed.

“What we are asking is that you do not interfere in the internal affairs of Venezuela, take the hands of my country,” Rodríguez told the OAS Permanent Council.

Last week, Venezuela’s Supreme Court  issued a ruling to dissolve the country’s elected National Assembly, accusing the legislature of being in “contempt” of the judicial body.

The decision allowed the country’s top court, filled with allies of Venezuela’s socialist leader, to write future laws. Venezuela’s National Assembly is dominated by Maduro’s opponents, making it the last branch of government that is still independent of the socialist regime.

In response to nationwide protests and outrage from international human rights advocates, the Supreme Court issued two more directives last Saturday to return the lawmaking authority to the legislature and reaffirm the lawmaker’s official immunity, which had also been stripped. Maduro’s police forces and socialist gangs known as “colectivos” have since attacked lawmakers attempting to enter the National Assembly building.

Maduro’s foreign minister alleged on Wednesday that the socialist government’s attempt to annul Venezuela’s elected legislature had been carried out within the confines of democracy and the country’s constitution. She argued that the democracy has “progressed” in the South American country.