Last week 23 ex-presidents from Latin America and Spain recommended the Organization of American States adopt a series of measures. But Venezuela is testing the OAS democratic founding principles, after nearly three months of anti-government protests that have left more than 70 people dead and led to thousands being imprisoned.
National guard troops and riot police fired rubber bullets to try to disperse the crowds. Guatemala's Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales, who chaired the meeting, said no consensus had been reached on how to address the turmoil in Venezuela, which has taken more than 60 lives since early April.
However, sources close to the decision told Reuters that "the (Brazilian) government chose to accept the opposition's request because there's a massacre in Venezuela", while another government official said that the exporting of any other crowd control equipment would also be suspended.
The OAS narrowly failed to pass a resolution calling for an end to Venezuela's political crisis.
"Considering the interruption of the democratic process in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, we believe that there should be a settled solution that includes all Venezuelan parties for the benefit of the people of that nation", the letter said. "Venezuela has been good to us, but the government of Venezuela has proceeded in a direction that we can not condone", Golding told the Gleaner.
On one side are Venezuela's leftist allies in the region and Caribbean countries that for years received discount crude exports from the oil giant. Maduro says the protests, along with the diplomatic efforts, are part of a plot by the U.S. to topple him.
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"The issue of Venezuela will continue, because the crisis in Venezuela isn't going to end today, either".
Under the compromise proposal, the OAS would call on Maduro to halt the constitution-drafting assembly he has convened, guarantee human rights and hold talks with the opposition, mediated by a group of countries. He has been criticized for subjugating the judicial and electoral powers, even after he lost control of the country's legislature.
A small knot of protesters also gathered in the rain on a highway outside the Mexican resort complex where the OAS talks are being held, holding signs saying "No more deaths" and "no more hunger".
Further dampening expectations of a breakthrough, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson chose to skip the gathering.
Venezuela has struggled with an imploding economy, rampaging inflation and chronic shortages of food and basic consumer goods, leading to widespread discontent with the Maduro government. Despite the harassment, Ferrer said Ortega has no plans to resign or leave Venezuela. The president has accused his political opponents of sabotaging the country through "economic war" and encouraging the protests. "On the contrary, it simply gives her more strength to continue down the path of legality that she has chosen".
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