PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, January 17, 2019
G2K SUPPORTS THE GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA’S OAS VOTE
Kingston, Jamaica: Generation 2000 (G2K) the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), supports the Government of Jamaica’s decision to vote with eighteen (18) other members of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) in affirming a resolution to not recognise the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro’s new term as Venezuela’s President.
“The PetroCaribe Energy Agreement between Jamaica and Venezuela is an example of the longstanding cooperation and friendship between two sovereign nations. This however could not cause us to turn a blind eye to disturbing circumstances brought to light regarding the May 2018 elections in Venezuela. Serious concerns have been raised about them not being free and fair with allegations of vote buying, voter intimidation and electoral fraud being of particular concern,’ said G2K President, Mr. Stephen Edwards.
Argentina, the Bahamas, Brazil, The United States of America, St. Lucia, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Peru, Panama, Canada and Columbia were among the other eighteen (18) countries to vote in favour of the resolution.
G2K Vice President Ryan Strachan highlighted that “from all objective indications, the citizens of Venezuela were not allowed to exercise their free will in the May 2018 election. We were shocked to learn of voter suppression, house arrests of opposition members, the migration of a Supreme Court Judge in protest of Maduro and the brief arrest of the Opposition leader on Sunday, January 13, 2019. Our view is Venezuela is in the midst of anarchy and the democratic process is non-existent at this time.”
Generation 2000 is encouraging the OAS to continue to use all legal means, in the interest of the Venezuelan people, to encourage the Government of Venezuela to immediately return to the principles of democracy.
