OAS recognizes Guaido's envoy as Venezuelan ambassador

By Lokman Ilhan</p> <p>CARACAS (AA) – The Organization of American States (OAS) said Tuesday it is recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido's nominee as Venezuela's official delegate to the group until new elections are held.</p> <p>Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it opposed the decision to recognize Gustavo Tarre Briceno as a representative.</p> <p>The government called the decision “a criminal and rampant violation of international law and the OAS charter”.</p> <p>Venezuela's permanent representative at the UN, Samuel Moncada, said the U.S. government is aiming to expel representatives of Venezuela from international organizations and impose people &quot;that we are not sure whom they represent exactly&quot;. </p> <p>Venezuela's relations with the OAS have been poor for a long time. On April 27, 2017, it formally notified the OAS that it was withdrawing from the organization.</p> <p>The country's exit from the OAS will formally take effect this month on the anniversary of the decision.</p> <p>President Nicolas Maduro signaled Venezuela would abandon the OAS, which it accused of helping to foment economic and political instability as part of a plan by Washington to cause the collapse of the government.</p> <p>Maduro has threatened magistrates elected by the opposition National Assembly with jail time, prompting Colombia, Chile, Mexico and the U.S. to offer them political asylum.</p> <p> *Writing by Dilara Hamit from Ankara</p> <p>