Venezuela's
representative to the Organization of American States stormed out of a session
of the 34-nation bloc on Monday, calling the meeting a "coup d'etat,"
as regional pressure grew for President Nicolas Maduro to fully restore
democratic rule.
The meeting of
the OAS Permanent Council was called at the weekend by 20 countries, including
the United States, concerned about democratic erosion in Venezuela under
Maduro.
In a
controversial move last week, Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled that it was
assuming functions of the opposition-led National Assembly.
Critics viewed
the ruling as a step toward dictatorship by Maduro's Socialist Party, which has
ruled for 18 years. The head of the OAS, Luis Almagro, has called for Venezuela
to be expelled from the group, which would further isolate Maduro.
Member
countries of the OAS could separately impose sanctions on Venezuela as a form
of pressure.
Monday's
meeting was at first canceled, but the bloc began a session in the afternoon
despite objections from Maduro's leftist ally Bolivia, which took the bloc's
presidency.
The meeting
proceeded with Honduras as chair.
Samuel
Moncada, Venezuela's deputy minister of foreign affairs for North America,
rejected a resolution condemning developments in Venezuela as an "act of
treason."
"The
convening of this meeting is illegal, we reject it and denounce it to the whole
world. This is a coup d'etat right here in the OAS," he said.
Referring to
the judiciary's takeover last week of the congress' responsibility, which was
later rowed back following international outcry, Moncada said: "You're
imagining something that no longer exists so that you can promote intervention
in Venezuela
The meeting
later adopted a resolution calling on Venezuela to restore the full authority
of the National Assembly and to restore democratic order by exercising
democracy and the rule of law under the constitution.
Maduro later
spoke at the presidential palace.
"The OAS
has surpassed itself in its aggression against Venezuela, he said. "It is
truly a court of inquisition with all the abuses and vulgarities we have seen
the past few days."
KEEPING UP
PRESSURE
Venezuela's
opposition sought to keep pressure on Maduro's government with scattered
protests on Monday.
One group of
protesters tried to block a major Caracas highway and another dropped a pile of
straw in front of court offices to protest against the judiciary's takeover
last week of congress' responsibilities.
One opposition
lawmaker who is often at the forefront of protests, Juan Requesens of the
Justice First party, suffered a gash to his the head after being hit by a stone
during a fracas outside the public ombudsman's office, witnesses said.
Protesters
took live chickens there to symbolize cowardice, but were confronted by
government supporters.
Opponents want
to bring forward Venezuela's next presidential election, slated for the end of
2018, to try to end Maduro's rule.
Maduro alleges
a U.S.-led coup plot against his government.
Rights groups
say more than 100 political leaders and activists are in jail, mostly on
trumped-up charges. Officials say all are imprisoned on legitimate criminal
accusations.
One opposition
party, COPEI, said two of its members were arrested on Sunday and Monday.
Military
intelligence agents picked up COPEI's Roberto Enriquez and Eduardo Vetancourt
and accused them of "rebellion" and "treason," the party
said.
"This is
a fresh attack on those who think differently to the government," it said
in a statement.
Two military
officers have also been detained in recent days, a Venezuelan rights group
says.
Maduro
announced on Monday night public sector employees would have all of next week
off, sparking criticism he was trying to distract Venezuelans to defuse street
protests.
REUTERS
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