2016: The National Assembly Petitioned the OAS to Declare Venezuela in Violation of the “Democratic Charter”

Venezuela was one of the original signatories of the Organization of American States (OAS) Charter which was signed on April 30, 1948. Venezuela officially joined the OAS on December 21, 1951.  In 2016, the OAS had 34 country members- all of the countries in the Western Hemisphere except Cuba. All 34 countries were considered to be democracies.

In 2001, the OAS adopted the Democratic Charter which was a Treaty binding on all 34 countries. The Charter declared that: “The Peoples of America have a right to Democracy.” Any member state or the OAS Secretary General could request a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council to determine if a breakdown in democracy had occurred. The OAS General Assembly could then vote to suspend the membership of the country in question. A two-thirds vote in favor was required.

On May 19, 2016, the Venezuelan opposition-controlled National Assembly officially petitioned the OAS to invoke the Democratic Charter and expel Venezuela from the OAS. The petition claimed that there had been a breakdown in democracy.[1]

A group of opposition legislators traveled to Washington, DC where they met with OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro as well as with US Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio [3]. The opposition leaders also traveled to Chile and Uruguay to garner support for their request to the OAS [4]

Speaking at a June 1 Rally in Caracas, President Maduro said that he would put the leaders of the National Assembly on trial for treason for requesting foreign intervention in Venezuela.[2]

The OAS did not vote to apply the Democratic Charter against Venezuela. The National Assembly leaders were not put on trial.



  

1.      National Assembly Demands Suspension of Venezuela from OAS, Venezuelanalysis, May 20, 2016

2.      BBC, Venezuela’s Maduro lambasts OAS chief Almagro, June 1, 2016

3.      Maduro Sues Parliament for Usurping Foreign Policy as Zapatero Meets with Lopez, Venezuelanalysis, June 6,2016

4.      Venezuelan Parliament Defies Supreme Court, Petitions OAS to Intervene, Venezuelanalysis, March 5, 2016

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