Regional bloc: Opposition to represent Venezuela

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - The Organization of American States' (OAS) assembly gave the representation of Venezuela in the group to country's opposition, which is led by Juan Guaido, on Friday by adopting a final resolution.

Gustavo Tarre Briceno will represent Venezuela in OAS until the country holds its next elections, said the bloc in a statement.

The 35-member OAS council approved the delegation with 19 votes in favor, eight against, with six abstentions and an absence, it added.

The political unrest between the elected President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition leader Guaido since Jan. 10 in Venezuela dominated the OAS summit from beginning to end.

On Thursday, Uruguay withdrew from the summit, citing the illegitimate presence of Venezuelan opposition.

"The support we have received today at the OAS is a demonstration that we are exercising all the mechanisms of struggle, within the framework of a single strategy, to achieve the cessation of usurpation," tweeted Guaido after gaining the Venezuelan representation in the group.

Emphasizing that he will announce important decisions in the coming says, Guaido called on Venezuelan people to take streets on July 5 for the next stage of their struggle.

The overwhelming majority of OAS, including the U.S., Colombia and Canada, call Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a dictator, while others urge dialogue between the Venezuelan opposition and legitimate president Maduro.

The Mexican, Bolivian and Nicaraguan delegations also voiced concern with the body's controversial decision to invite the Venezuelan opposition as the official representatives of the oil-rich country.

Venezuela announced its withdrawal from the OAS in April 2017, with Maduro accusing the U.S.-based organization of being controlled by Washington.

The OAS came into being in 1948 with 21 American countries signing the Charter of the OAS in Bogota, Colombia.

- OAS to create commission to evaluate Nicaragua crisis

The General Assembly also approved a resolution on the socio-political crisis in Nicaragua including appointment of a commission to evaluate the situation of the Central American country, according to a statement made by the bloc.

The resolution was approved with 20 votes in favor, five against and eight abstentions, it added.

The group of experts must submit a report within a maximum period of 75 days, according to the statement.

"We have witnessed another exercise of interference, a group of countries that forced this vote throughout this day. This new form of external interference aims to use a multilateral forum such as the OAS to promote internal destabilization," the Representative of Nicaragua Valdrack Jaentschke Whitaker said after the vote.

The crisis in Nicaragua has been ongoing since anti-government protests started last year.