Caracas Demands Suspension of OAS Session on Venezuelan Crisis Situation

Venezuela made a formal request to the Organization of American States (OAS) to postpone a special session of the organization slated for March 28 in order to examine the crisis situation in Venezuela, the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday.

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said that the United States, OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, and a certain "group of countries" had been fostering the creation of the adverse international environment around Venezuela.

"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela addresses the President of the Permanent Council [of the OAS] to request a suspension of the session, as there is no consent of the government of Venezuela to convene [the session], as provided in the rules," the statement said.

Last week, the Permanent Council of the OAS agreed to meet on March 28 to discuss the crisis situation in Venezuela. On Thursday, OAS members issued a joint declaration calling on Venezuela to release political prisoners and present an election timetable.

Earlier this month, Almagro called for the expulsion of Venezuela from the organization in the case Venezuelan authorities fail to hold general elections under independent international monitoring in the near future.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared an economic emergency in Venezuela in January 2016. The country’s opposition has blamed Maduro for the economic crisis in the country, which has seen multiple mass protests amid shortages of food, goods and services. In March, the Venezuelan government extended the economic emergency.