Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado says the Dominican Republic backs and wagers that dialogue be fostered to lead to the solution of the political situation in Venezuela. He appealed to the international principle of no intervention in internal affairs of countries, respecting their sovereignty. He said the Dominican Republic is always available to contribute to a peaceful and rapid solution through constructive dialogue.
“We take this opportunity to call for the opposition and government to sit down to talks to find a definite solution and establish a democratic agenda,” he said in a press release issued by the Ministry from Costa Rica where he is participating in the 16th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Harmonization.
The Organization of American States (OAS) is holding an extraordinary session on Venezuela at the request of 18 countries. Last week Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Panama, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay and the United States called for Venezuela to set its electoral calendar and free political prisoners. Those countries together with Barbados, Bahamas, St. Lucia and Jamaica are participating in a meeting in Washington, D.C. on the situation in Venezuela. The OAS has scheduled a vote on whether to invoke the “Democratic Charter” against Venezuela and trigger the suspension of Venezuela from the bloc of nations. This would require two thirds of the OAS vote, or 24 of 35 member countries.
Meanwhile, the representatives of Bolivia and Nicaragua asked the OAS to suspend the meeting, arguing that it would violate the sovereignty of Venezuela and would set a precedent of intervention in the region, which goes against the body’s own principles.
But despite Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua’s protests, the OAS went forward as scheduled with the contested debate.
Meanwhile, a US State Department official said on Tuesday, 28 March 2017 that the US will not seek the immediate suspension of Venezuela from the OAS. “Our goal for the special session is not immediate suspension,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, in a statement. “We encourage Venezuela to participate in a productive discussion on ways to solve the economic and humanitarian crisis,” said Fitzpatrick.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Florida Senator Marco Rubio threatened El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, saying that if they did not vote in favor of invoking the Democratic Charter, US aid to those countries could be suspended.
El Día reported that US cooperation is of US$50.9 million (2016-2019), and that of the European Union is estimated at US$158 million (2016-2019), according to Digecoom.
Read more in Spanish:
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/2017/03/28/i226724_canciller-dominicano-apela-dialogo-como-solucion-situacion-venezuela.html
Canciller dice RD apuesta al diálogo para solución situación Venezuela
http://www.listindiario.com/las-mundiales/2017/03/28/459775/oea-inicia-su-sesion-sobre-venezuela-con-voto-de-20-paises-y-oposicion-de-11
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/republica-dominicana-apela-al-principio-de-no-inmiscuirse-en-asuntos-internos-de-venezuela-HN6681944
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nationworld/world/americas/article141080013.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.listindiario.com/las-mundiales/2017/03/28/459666/venezuela-carga-en-la-oea-contra-injerencia-de-paises
La Unión Europea triplica lo que aporta EU en cooperación a RD
29 March 2017
