Finally, South America puts pressure on Venezuela

The decision by key South American countries to send an ultimatum to Venezuela’s authoritarian regime demanding that it respect democratic rules went almost unnoticed in the U.S. media, but it may be the region’s most important diplomatic event in recent years. The 34-country Organization of American States’ Secretary General, Luis Almagro, had already issued a report in June stating that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is violating basic democratic principles. But Maduro had claimed that the Almagro report was a personal initiative and a U.S. imperialist scheme, stressing that the United States is a leading member of the OAS. More…