On March 7, 2014, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) approved a declaration [3] on the situation in Venezuela.  The Permanent Council expressed “its condolences to and solidarity with the victims and their family members,” and called for peace and human rights, “[rejecting] all forms of violence and intolerance.” The Council stressed “its respect for the principle of nonintervention in the domestic affairs of states” and expressed its “appreciation, full support, and encouragement for the initiatives and the efforts of the democratically-elected Government of Venezuela.” It also called for the continuation of a national dialogue among political, economic, and social sectors, with a goal of political and social reconciliation.

In the footnotes to the declaration, Panama and the United States entered reservations, respectively expressing concern that the resolution “can be construed as partial[] toward the government” and that it “places the OAS in a position of taking sides.” The United States, in particular, objected to the suggestion that “an alleged need to maintain order and respect the principle of non-interference takes priority over the commitments of all OAS member states to promote and protect human rights and democracy. The declaration contradicts Article two of the OAS Charter and the principles enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic Charter.”