CANCUN, Mexico, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Luis Almagro, secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS), said Monday that the body will not complete its consultations about the crisis in Venezuela this week.
Speaking in Cancun during the 47th General Assembly of the OAS, Almagro said he would be seeking a consensus among the members during the three-day summit.
"The process will not end even if there is a resolution, and this is a strong crisis which will continue," he told a press conference, adding that the OAS will continue to inspect Venezuela's internal affairs.
Accompanied by Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, Almagro said that "the defense of democracy is an international principle and not interference."
Videgaray also said that the OAS is facing different scenarios about how to react to Venezuela. If this summit does not find a consensus, the topic will then be taken up at the OAS General Assembly.
The OAS is torn between two resolutions. One presented by 14 nations, backed by Mexico, the United States and Canada, criticized Maduro's government and demanded the release of political prisoners, respect for human rights and an end to Maduro's attempts to draft a new constitution.
The other one, backed by the Caribbean allies of Venezuela, made no such demands and rejected interference in Caracas' internal affairs.
Almagro also called on Venezuela to accept international humanitarian aid, to schedule presidential elections and to preserve the independence of the judiciary.
Venezuela announced in April that it would leave the OAS and accused Almagro of seeking regime change against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
The country has also refused to recognize any result coming out from Cancun. On Sunday, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said that "the U.S. Department of State has deployed its ambassadors in the region to attack Venezuela. We will defeat the OAS even more strongly."
