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Colombian gov't regrets OAS voting on border situation with Venezuela

Xinhua, September 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

Colombian government regretted Monday the voting of ambassadors of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington D.C. to convene an urgent meeting of Foreign Ministers of the 35 member states about the border situation with Venezuela.

The voting results, which showed 17 countries voted yes, 12 abstained, five against and one absent, denied Colombia's proposal for the urgent meeting.

"It was the continent that was defeated," Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said in a press conference shortly after the voting, seizing the opportunity to question the role of the continental organization.

Holguin also supported the speech given by the Colombian ambassador to the OAS in Washington, Andres Gonzalez, who requested respect from the Venezuelan government after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered on Aug. 22 a partial closure of border and started to deport thousands of Colombians.

"We need to rethink what the (spirit of the) OAS is, because if it is unable even to carry out a debate on human rights violation, how will it manage to make decisions that are in favor of the countries," Holguin added.

Even though local press in Colombia described the voting as a "diplomatic failure" for the Colombian strategy seeking a solution by diplomatic means, Holguin said that the debate was brought to the spotlight and it was important to show the continent what the situation in the border region with Venezuela is.

On the other hand, Panama's abstention caught Holguin by surprise since it was planning to vote yes, but after talks with the Venezuelan authorities, it allegedly changed its mind and decided to abstain, making the Colombia-proposed initiative one vote short to convene the urgent meeting.

The next step will take place in Quito, Ecuador, after the extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) was rescheduled for Sept. 8 because of Holguin's official visit to Asia during the beginning of September.

The UNASUR has a bigger influence over Caracas, but some political sectors in Colombia still hope to hold a constructive dialogue seeking to solve the border crisis that has caused 1,088 Colombian deportations so far from the neighboring country.

In addition to those deported by the Venezuelan government, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Colombia reported that another 4,260 people have voluntarily returned to Colombia because of the outbreak of humanitarian crisis in the area.

The border area between Colombia and Venezuela is known for its bustling commerce and has become a strategic place for smugglers, who buy basic food products and gasoline in Venezuela at low government-controlled prices and sell them in Colombia for profits.

President Maduro said he would reopen the border crossings if Colombia bans smuggling consumer goods from Venezuela, which causes shortages in the border region. Endi