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50th General Assembly of Organization of American States Canada's Dirty Role to Advance U.S. Imperialist Aims in Latin America and the CaribbeanOn October 20-21, the 50th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) was held virtually out of its Washington, DC headquarters. The theme of this year's assembly was billed as "Facing the Challenges of COVID-19 in the Hemisphere: A Collaborative Approach to Address Vulnerabilities and Build Resilience in Times of Crisis, based on the Four Pillars of the OAS." Participants in the meeting included the 33 members of the organization plus an illegitimately recognized delegation claiming to represent the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela even though Venezuela officially withdrew from the organization in 2017. The Bahamas was elected to chair the plenary sessions over the two days during which delegations from the 33 member states were given an opportunity to make general remarks as well as debate and vote on a number of resolutions and reports. Causes of an interventionist, interfering nature that Canada has taken a lead in pushing at the OAS in tandem with the U.S. in particular were sharply denounced, starting with the first item on the agenda -- approval of the draft agenda. Nicaragua firmly and categorically rejected inclusion on the agenda of items dealing with "the situation in Nicaragua and with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," in the form of resolutions its representative denounced as interventionist in nature and contrary to the Charters of the OAS and the United Nations, as well as international law. The same stand was taken by St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In his remarks, the permanent representative of Nicaragua to the General Assembly, Denis Moncada, said that no state or group of states has the right to interfere in the internal or external affairs of any other state or states. He pointed out that this applies not only to military interventions but to any other type of intervention as well. Addressing the supposed theme of the General Assembly, he dismissed as unacceptable claims that the effects of the pandemic can be reduced through interference. Strengthening the sanitary conditions for the benefit of all our countries through sharing our experiences in combatting it should be the preoccupation of this assembly instead of destabilizing, committing aggression and violating the right to self-determination of Nicaragua and Venezuela, he said. The agenda was nevertheless adopted as proposed. The next fight took place over the report of the Credentials Committee. Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Mexico opposed any recognition of the credentials of the delegation that purports to represent the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which were issued by the National Assembly and not the government of Venezuela, rendering them invalid. St. Vincent and the Grenadines pointed out that Venezuela officially withdrew from the OAS in June 2017 and is no longer a member. All were emphatic that the OAS Charter does not authorize the organization or its General Secretariat to recognize or deny recognition to any state, or allow interference in any state's internal affairs. Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines reiterated the positions of their governments that they are not bound by any past, present or future resolutions or declarations of the OAS that include any participation by the so-called "Venezuelan" delegation or that speak on behalf of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. All three countries requested that their remarks be recorded in the documents corresponding to the session. Canada's Dirty RoleCanada's shameful role was on display during the two days of plenary sessions. It sought to embroil countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in violating the Charter of the United Nations and what the OAS Charter itself calls for in words, by sponsoring the resolutions interfering in the internal affairs of Venezuela and Nicaragua -- specifically relating to upcoming elections in both countries. A prelude to what Canada's role would be during the official proceedings was provided in the form of a "Dialogue on the Multi-dimensional Crisis in Venezuela" it co-hosted with the U.S. and other members of its anti-Venezuela Lima Group the day before the General Assembly opened. Minister of International Development Karina Gould, who worked as a consultant for the OAS before becoming an MP, was dispatched to advance Canada's assault on the democratic rights of the peoples of the Americas at this forum. At the General Assembly proper, the job of flogging the resolutions against Nicaragua and Venezuela that Canada took a lead in promoting fell to Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne and to Canada's permanent representative to the OAS, Hugh Adsett. The whole thing was a pathetic spectacle of the Canadian government's submission to the most reactionary, anti-communist sections of U.S. imperialism obsessed with overthrowing the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, cloaked in pretentious language about the need for the OAS to assert its "unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights" and what Champagne said was a need to "restore people's faith in our institutions." The resolution on Nicaragua was titled "Restoring Democratic Institutions and Respect for Human Rights in Nicaragua Through Free and Fair Elections." In speaking to it Ambassador Moncada addressed himself specifically to Canada. Canada has applied illegal sanctions against Nicaragua and for a number of years has been working closely with the U.S. at the OAS, heading up a Working Group on Nicaragua and then sitting on its pompously named High Commission on Nicaragua, which is chaired by the U.S. The Commission has called for the OAS to declare that there has been an alteration in the constitutional order in Nicaragua to be able to initiate a process that could lead to the country's suspension from the OAS as was attempted but failed in the case of Venezuela. Among other things, Ambassador Moncada said, "This assembly was not convoked for some to tell us what we have to do." He said Nicaraguans highly value human rights, having suffered under a dictatorship, and that Nicaragua is making a big effort to guarantee the fundamental rights of its people and those who transit through the country. He said he wanted his country's rejection of the interfering position put forward by Canada's foreign minister made clear, stating that it was not correct or appropriate to be calling out countries for their internal policies and insisting on interfering in their affairs. In closing, he said it was embarrassing to see Canada following the dictate of the U.S. and acting like a country subordinated to it. In urging the passage of a resolution on Venezuela titled "The Lack of Minimum Democratic Conditions to Guarantee Free, Fair, and Transparent Elections in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" Champagne made pointed references to the "illegitimate" President Nicolás Maduro, and the "illegitimate" elections that have been held in the country over the years. He reiterated Canada's support for the "interim" and supposedly legitimate president, Juan Guaidó, despite the imposter's rapidly fading star. In a related matter, it was announced at the General Assembly that former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Michel Bastarache was re-elected to the Administrative Tribunal of the OAS, which is supposed to ensure oversight and accountability at the OAS. Canada playing such a role is the height of hypocrisy, given its historic role operating as a flunkey of the U.S. as it goes about using the OAS to divide the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean in order to assert its hegemony over the region. Canada's role in organizing and leading the Lima Group to do illegal dirty work against Venezuela and to try to split the Caribbean Community of States (CARICOM) is the most obvious example. It was addressed well by Argentina's foreign minister Felipe Solá, who said about the OAS's interference in Venezuela that it served only to create divisions in Our America based on opinions every country holds on Venezuela. Where does this come from, who does it benefit? he asked. Canada's aggressive interference in the affairs of Venezuela and also of Nicaragua, and the role it played in instigating last year's coup in Bolivia show that Canada's role with respect to oversight and accountability can only be to insulate the out-of-control OAS General Secretariat from being held accountable for its gross abuse of power and serial violation of the OAS's own Charter and rules of procedure. "Multilateralism That Actually Works"After the General Assembly concluded, the Assistant Secretary General remarked that it had adopted important decisions for strengthening multilateralism. Given that interfering in the affairs of Nicaragua and Venezuela took up a large part of its agenda -- and dealing with COVID-19 very little -- it is safe to say that what is being referred to is the very imperialist multilateralism Canada champions and works to impose, in opposition to what the UN Charter intended it to mean. Canada's role as handmaid for this exclusionary, interfering multilateralism has become a hallmark of the dirty role it plays at the OAS. What Canada is up to reflects what U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had to say in a video-taped message to the General Assembly. He said the OAS was an example of "multilateralism that actually works." Addressing himself not to the member states of the OAS but to its nefarious OAS Secretary General who views the organization as his personal bailiwick, Pompeo said, "We stand for democratic values and under your leadership the OAS is not afraid to stand up for these values." In the written version of his statement Pompeo adds that "there is no question" that the multilateralism of the OAS "works because of your [Luis Almagro's] bold stands." He then goes on to issue his "expectations" of the members gathered, saying, "The U.S. expects this body to approve a strong resolution condemning the illegitimate Maduro regime this year, just as we expect all member states not to recognize its illegitimate elections, past or future.... We expect the OAS General Assembly to approve a resolution condemning the Ortega government's failure to meet democratic standards," and "[We] urge the OAS to take stronger action on Cuba. It's a source of anti-democratic forces throughout the hemisphere as it props up the Maduro and Ortega regimes, and causes regional instability."
There is nothing honourable about the role Canada is playing as a tool
of the imperialist multilateralism "that works" for the U.S. at the OAS
or in any other forum. Congratulations to those who actually spoke on a
principled basis for their people and for so many others to say NO to the
imposition of illegitimate agendas on the countries and peoples of
Latin America and the Caribbean in the name of high ideals.
This article was published in   Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca |
