The Republic of Panama voted in favor of the Draft Resolution of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), which met in Washington to discuss the Venezuelan elections held on July 28, 2024.
The document, which received 17 votes in favor, 11 abstentions, and five absences, recognizes Venezuela's electorate's substantial and peaceful participation in the elections held on July 28, 2024.
In response to this outcome, Panama's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, expressed his "hope that none of those present here… will have to flee their country because one person and their gang want to monopolize power forever, as that would mean we are not citizens but slaves."
The Panamanian Foreign Minister reiterated the position of the National Government, led by President José Raúl Mulino Quintero, in support of democracy in Venezuela as an inalienable right of the Venezuelan people. Therefore, he demanded that "the ballots be reviewed in the presence of the opposition, that the votes cast be counted and respected, and that it be known exactly how Venezuelan men and women voted on July 28." Additionally, he called for the respect of human rights in Venezuela and an end to the persecution of opposition leaders and activists.
Wednesday, July 31, 2024