Chancellor and Vice President Epsy Campbell made strong accusations against Venezuela and Nicaragua this Monday at the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The words of Campbell were met with criticism from the Venezuelan Chancellor, Jorge Arreaza, who claimed there is an alleged change of discourse on the situation in his country after May 8th, when they both held a meeting in San José, within the framework of the transfer of powers.
This Monday, Chancellor Arreaza told Campbell that he did not expect criticism from the Costa Rican government in regards to what happens in Venezuela. Minutes before, the vice president had expressed Costa Rica’s censorship to the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
Currently there is an institutional crisis in Venezuela that has claimed the lives of many Venezuelans and has caused the departure of millions of people who, in search of security and an opportunity to live, are welcomed in our countries. My country cannot recognize the result of the electoral process recently held in Venezuela (which allowed Maduro to be re-elected for six more years), when it lacks serious legitimacy and breaches the minimum international standards of a pluralistic, free, democratic and transarent electoral process,”
stated Campbell.
To date, the agreements and issues discussed by Campbell and Arreaza here in San José are unknown. However, during the first week of this administration, the opposition made harsh criticism because the country did not subscribe to a declaration by the Lima Group. Costa Rica issued its statement almost 28 hours later, and under pressure from the opposition.