BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2019) Countries of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR, or Rio Pact/Treaty) have agreed to introduce sanctions against organizations and individuals with ties to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The foreign ministers of the Rio Pact countries held a meeting on Monday in New York, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, discussing the unstable situation in Venezuela, where protests have been ongoing since January, when US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido disputed Maduro's re-election and declared himself interim president of Venezuela.
"... the humanitarian crisis generated by the deterioration of the political, economic and social situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, represents a threat to the maintenance of peace and security of the continent, under the terms of Article 6 of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance," a resolution adopted by 16 of the 17 member countries on Monday says.
According to the statement, individuals and organizations with ties to Maduro must be investigated in terms of their involvement in money laundering activities and other forms of corruption, as well as human rights abuse. Those found guilty of unlawful activities will be subject to financial sanctions.
Uruguay voted against the resolution on Monday, while Trinidad and Tobago abstained, Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo told journalists after the Rio Pact meeting.
Trujillo emphasized that "there was no discussion about military intervention in Venezuela during the meeting" and that the participants only talked about the draft resolution, which was eventually adopted.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has sent a letter to Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia outlining the detrimental consequences that the Rio Pact decision could lead to, according to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.
Maduro said late on Monday that he was heading to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier in the day, the Venezuelan leader said in an interview with Rossiya 24 news channel that he was thankful to Moscow for supporting the sovereignty of his country.
Maduro is not attending the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, neither is Putin.
The TIAR agreement, commonly known as the Rio Pact, was signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1947. Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela withdrew their participation in the mutual defense treaty in 2012.
Earlier this month, the United States and its allies in the Western hemisphere invoked the Rio Treaty to facilitate further collective action to confront the alleged threat posed by Maduro's government. The move came as Caracas suspended talks with US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido after another round of US sanctions.
At the same time, the Venezuelan authorities have announced the launch of a dialogue with a number of small opposition political parties in the country. Some agreements have already been achieved, like the return of members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to the country's parliament, the release of prisoners and changes in the electoral process.
