– US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken calls Venezuela’s Democratic Opposition
By Caribbean News Global
VENEZUELA / USA – The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) calls for peace among Venezuelans, for today to be a day of reconciliation and justice, for messages of hate to be banished and for those who have sown fear, repression and death to find no echo in anyone. May every Venezuelan man, woman, who speaks out in the street today find only an echo of peace, a peace that reflects the spirit of democratic coexistence, which is the only lasting one.
“The Venezuelan people have paid a very high price in hunger, misery, migration, disease, political imprisonment, torture, death like no other people in the hemisphere in this 21st century. May the actors of the international community who have been lenient with these crimes ensure that they do not happen again. Let there be a profound meaning of peace in the actions of every Venezuelan man and woman, let there be no place for a single repressor or a single repressed person. The “peace” of repression, fear, and terror is not peace,” the OAS statement continued. “Today we urge that there not be a single more political prisoner, nor one more tortured person, nor one more disappeared person, nor one more murdered person; Venezuela does not deserve that, it deserves a return to prosperity for the people, that the sovereignty that resides in that people today be recognized by all. A return to peace in democracy.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken congratulated González Urrutia for receiving the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election as documented by the democratic opposition’s extensive efforts to ensure a transparent accounting of the votes.
“The secretary expressed his concern for their safety and well-being following the election and condemned all political violence and repression – applauded the Venezuelan people for their dedication to democracy in the face of significant challenges and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela,” according to a readout attributable to spokesperson Matthew Miller.