US states at OAS that 'drug trafficking' is in power in Venezuela and requests to 'do the impossible' to put an end to Maduro

The United States representative to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States(OAS), Thomas Hastings, declared this Friday that power in Venezuela is in the hands of a drug trafficking organization and reiterated the call to recognize Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president of the country.

Following the presentation of a report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) documenting serious human rights violations in Venezuela in the post-election context, Hastings endorsed recent statements by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the influence of drug trafficking in the regime of Nicolás Maduro.

"It is a drug trafficking organization that is actually in power in Venezuela, contrary to everything they promised at the time of the elections," the U.S. diplomat affirmed.

He also denounced the progressive dismantling of democratic institutions and the persecution against the opposition, pointing out the abuses committed in detention centers such as El Helicoide.

Call to recognize Edmundo Gonzalez

The U.S. representative insisted that Edmundo González Urrutia was the true winner of the July 28 elections and should be recognized as the legitimate president of Venezuela. "We know that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the majority of the votes and it is he who should be recognized as the legitimate president," he said, criticizing the lack of response to the will of the people expressed at the polls.

Regional impact and urgent measures

Hastings also warned about the threat posed by Maduro to regional stability, pointing to his role in the migration crisis and alleged delivery of fake passports to extremist groups. He stressed that the impact of Maduro's regime transcends Venezuela's borders, making him a destabilizing factor for the entire region.

Finally, he urged OAS members to take urgent measures to curb the Venezuelan crisis. "We ask that we all do our utmost to see that Maduro does his job and that the suffering of the Venezuelan people is ended once and for all," he emphasized, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to justice and the restoration of democracy in the South American country.