Venezuela: A smokescreen in Latin America

In several countries of the continent, severe events are currently taking place, but for the OAS and other international organizations it seems that the only thing that matters is the Venezuelan crisis

Without ignoring the seriousness of the situation in Venezuela, the economic crisis it faces, the magnitude of the migratory phenomenon, the tension and the questioning of the government of Nicolás Maduro, it is a mistake to think that this country is the only place where things are happening to the eyes of the international community, to generate a campaign of the magnitude that has long been undertaken by Venezuela.

The media agenda and the public discussions that move Latin American geopolitics have a single theme, and this is the situation in Venezuela. 

However, it is clear that Venezuela is not the only country to paid attention to, and no matter how dangerous what happens there, it should not be the only issue that concerns and arouses the interest of the OAS, the Lima Group, the United States government and many others in the region, especially those that are ideologically different from the one that prevails in that country.

The recent declaration of the Lima Group, in which the government of Nicolás Maduro is unknown, and the latter is urged to cede the power to facilitate a transition, is in addition to the permanent statements of the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro , who also he is vehemently rejecting the government of Nicolás Maduro and condemning everything that currently happens in Venezuela, demanding (of course) Maduro's departure from power.

However, vehemence, perseverance, interest and concern for Venezuela disappear when it comes to talking about what is happening, for example, with the systematic assassinations of social leaders in Colombia, the outrage over the departure of CICIG in Guatemala, the worsening of the migration crisis in Central America and many other situations that are also currently occurring. All those organisms, governments and characters of such influence in the continent, keep absolute silence before these events, just because in their agenda there is only room to talk about Venezuela.

It's not Venezuela; it's Latin America:

As if they were matters of minimal importance, those who speak with such enthusiasm about Venezuela are entirely unaware of the complexity and gravity of what is happening in countries like Colombia, where to date and after the signing of the peace agreement, the On November 24, 2016, 229 social leaders and human rights defenders were murdered, as indicated by the analyst and deputy director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, Ariel Ávila:

The fact has been denounced several times by organizations defending human rights, NGOs and activists, but also worries the UN, which on more than one occasion has urged the Colombian government to act to stop the massacre of these people.

Now, if you look at Guatemala, the situation is no less severe and in this case, silence has also been a constant. Since the president of that country, Jimmy Morales, declared war on the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), Guatemalans have been in a permanent mobilization from which there have been new reports of corruption cases and a resounding rejection of the government presided by Morales.

After President Morales issued a decree on 8 January to terminate CICIG's work and force CICIG to leave the country, Guatemalan citizens again took to the streets to stage a massive mobilization that fulfills more than one week, which has been named: #NoAlMoralazo.

On the other hand, since the convoys of migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala began to leave for the United States in mid-October 2018, as a consequence of the poverty, violence and corruption that are becoming more acute those countries day by day, the silence of the OAS and all those who permanently speak with such ownership of Venezuela, has also been evident.

Precisely, on January 14, a new caravan of migrants headed to the United States left San Pedro Sula (Honduras):

You can also read: It's not Venezuela, it's Honduras

Regardless of how harsh and tragic the reality of Venezuela may be, this can not become a smokescreen used by the OAS, the Lima Group and several governments of the continent to ignore that in other countries and their territories, there are situations as severe and even worse than that of Venezuela. The reality of Latin America requires coherence and practical actions that guarantee democracy and safeguard the rights and freedoms of citizens, not only of Venezuela but of all countries, without the double standard that characterizes more than one concerned about Venezuelans.

LatinAmerica Post | Samuel Augusto Gallego Suárez

Translated from "Venezuela: Una cortina de humo en Latinoamérica"

* The opinion of the writer does not represent the opinion of LatinAmerican Post