Venezuelan Foreign Relations Minister Delcy Rodríguez Tuesday in Cancun performed her role to the hilt at the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) upstaging most of the national diplomatic representatives at hand, and in particularly that of host Luis Videgaray of Mexico.
In a ferocious tone Ms. Rodríguez over and again repeated that Venezuela would continue on its collision course with those nations who disagree with the Nicolás Maduro “democratic” dictatorship and his dismantling of the electoral machine to perpetuate in power.
Rodríguez managed to offend as many nations who would even suggest the word democracy with tongue lashings such Costa Rican chancellor Manuel González who repeated what the majority of nations are demanding from the Maduro regime calling for internal changes in Venezuela to appease the ongoing violent upheaval and protests. This time Rodríguez called González a “hysterical” individual and a “political illiterate” person.
This happened with just about every national foreign relations minister who demanded that Venezuela come into the OAS fold and be reasonable. Using a left-wing rhetoric she demanded from the Peruvian chancellor Ricardo Luna Mendoza “respect” but then whipped back: “If you are part of the kennel of little doggies sympathetic to the empire, Venezuela is not. Peru is nobody to give instructions to a sovereign independent nation.”
Peru’s Luna called it a day of hearing insults from the always smiling Delcy Rodríguez who seemed to enjoy every one of her offenses to other national representatives. Luna Mendoza told Rodríguez that in the next OAS General Assembly to be held on April 2018 the main topic is democratic governance when confronted with corruption and with a special emphasis on Venezuela. Luna Mendoza also said that he was really sorry to see the failure on Monday to carry out “an action to stop the dismantling of institutional democracy in Venezuela.”
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland backed the Peruvian minister up and that she was sorry to see that the priorities the Maduro government considers a priority “are violated in Venezuela. The liberation of political prisoners is a priority, also respect for human rights, respect for democratic institutions including elections and the national assembly.”
As usual and was to be expected, Delcy Rodríguez constantly badmouthed the United States government which it accused this time of trying to “relocate” “a new cold war” to the American continent.
She was joined by some of the representatives of the “group of five” socialist regimes in the continent, particularly by Bolivia and Ecuador both of whom pleaded with the rest of the ministers “to not allow hegemonic interests to break down the OAS institutional shape.”
Of course, every time the word “hegemonic” was used the arrow was aimed at the United States.
“The true interest of the United States when supporting OAS is to counter balance the influence Venezuela is having in the American continent and bringing back the cold war to the hemisphere.”
U.S. representative Undersecretary of State John J. Sullivan underlined that nobody is even suggesting an intervention in Venezuela but that all efforts at OAS are to support the government to bring to an end the crisis that has already demolished the national economy now suffering of a ravaging inflation.
Delcy Rodríguez had a punch for Sullivan too. She told Sullivan that her nation does not need any group of contact mechanism preferring instead isolation and separation from the OAS.
“The contact group you are proposing seems to me completely useless, unnecessary and about the only way you could impose it would be with submarines which will have a resounding response from Venezuela if you dare take this false step over our region.”
A group of Venezuelan protesters questioned Delcy Rodríguez, directed multiple insults at her and had a big sign reading ”OAS, don’t turn your back on us” and “Delcy Rodríguez does not represent the people of Venezuela, she represents only Nicolás Maduro.”
General Assembly host Mexico Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray had several run-ins with Delcy Rodríguez’s most aggressive attitude and commented in a Mexico City radio talk show his impression of the Venezuelan minister.
“The Venezuelan position is contradictory. It’d seem that they belong to the OAS when it is convenient for them and not when they deem it inconvenient. This is not serious and it all looks like a game to us.”
Mexico got its fair share of insults and Delcy Rodríguez received the backing of many left wing organizations in Cancun and to boot, just about every Mexican government critic in town was at hand to back her up.
She stole the show but for sure; expect things in Venezuela to get worse as the leading nations asking for a democratic answer to the nation’s woes that, offended as they were by the Venezuelan Foreign Relations minister will indeed might just turn their backs on the Maduro regime.
