Jose Raul Mulino, Panama's president, has proposed a summit of 17 Latin American leaders to address Venezuela's political situation following its recent contested election. The announcement, made on August 6, 2024, underscores Panama's role as a regional mediator, a position it has held since becoming a democracy in 1989.
Mulino has instructed his foreign minister to extend invitations for the summit, which aims to produce a joint declaration on Venezuela's political crisis and explore peaceful solutions. This initiative highlights Panama's strategic importance in regional politics, a status it has maintained since gaining full control of the Panama Canal in 1999.
The Panamanian leader sought support for the summit from Laura Richardson, the U.S. Southern Command General, and Mari Carmen Aponte, the U.S. Ambassador to Panama. This move reflects the complex relationship between Latin American nations and the United States, which has imposed sanctions on Venezuela since 2015.
The proposed summit comes in response to Venezuela's July 28, 2024 election, where both incumbent Nicolas Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claimed victory. Maduro, who has led Venezuela since 2013, was declared the winner by the electoral authority with 51% of the vote. However, the opposition, known as the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), contests this result.
Venezuela's political crisis is compounded by its ongoing economic troubles, which began in 2010 and worsened after 2015. Despite possessing the world's largest proven oil reserves, the country faces a severe humanitarian crisis that has triggered mass migration across the region.
The opposition claims Gonzalez received over 6 million votes compared to Maduro's 2.7 million, publishing ballot copies from 30,000 voting machines online. The government, while stating it has copies of the ballots, has not released them, nor has the electoral authority provided detailed results.
"We call for the publication of detailed election results and the safety of individuals seeking asylum in diplomatic facilities."
A recent attempt by the Organization of American States (OAS) to address the situation failed due to abstentions and absences. Notably, Venezuela withdrew from the OAS in 2019, further complicating regional efforts to resolve the crisis.
As Panama prepares to host this crucial summit, the international community watches closely. The outcome could significantly impact Venezuela's future and regional stability, potentially influencing the stance of groups like the Lima Group and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), which have taken opposing positions on Venezuela's political situation.