Over a cliff, where is the International Response . And i only just read one paragraph here because i think it sums up the situation we confront. Its been more than a hundred days of ongoing opposition protests with more than 100 killed and thousands injured in violently repression by the maduro administration. With 176 inflation, many basic Food Supplies unavailable and what food can be found is distributed corruptly. Last year infant mortality shot up 30 reaching the levels of the poorest of the poorest subsaharan african nations, despite possessing the Largest Proven Oil reserves in the world and i cant tell you how many people who are not familiar with venezuela can understand that, the Largest Proven Oil reserves in the world nine in ten households are hungry or in risk of hungry and the piece goes on saying ultimately normally this would be a time when the International Community would step in using all available leverage to promote stabilization and peace but that hasnt happened. So thats the setting for this enormously timely and significant event where we will dive into the political, economic and humanitarian crisis in venezuela as well as try to identify new ways to involve the International Community and particularly the u. S. And regional actors in seeking solutions to the crisis. Here at the Atlantic Council its our we earn our days bread by convening leaders to find Collaborative Solutions to significant challenges. The challenges dont get much more significant than what we are facing in venezuela in our own hemisphere. It gives me enormous pleasure and great honor the welcome the secretary general of the organization of the american states luisa mago. Thank you so much for joining us today. Youve been leading the diplomatic fight to encourage venezuela to respect human rights and Human Dignity and walk forward on a democratic path. Im also honored to welcome luis alfonso de alba, permanent representative of mexico to the organization of american states and i know you put forward a very important resolution as well for this situation. Let me also then briefly acknowledge panelist who is will be more if you havely introduced later, the chief economist francisco rodriguez, the executive director of borges, traveled long distances to be here today, Gustavo Alegre and Fernando Espinoza of n24, just wonderful to have you here today to to discuss these issues. Venezuela was a decade ago one of the wealthiest countries in the region, but today after years of economic and social mismanagement its on a crisis on all fronts and it is as crisis as i said before that demands global attention. We find ourselves today a week away from a vote to elect a constituent assembly that will likely rewrite the constitution to the governments benefit. That follows the situation where more than 7 million venezuelans virve symbolically voted last sunday in the biggest Civic Disobedience Movement the world has ever seen. The International Community has hit unending series of road blocks despite the secretary generals best efforts. The Trump Administration for its part has levied additional sanctions on individuals and is considering a broader set of sanctions. At the lant Atlantic Council we believe that now is the time to doubledown on the effort that bears the violations and puts forward pressure and need for change. We are launching our own venezuela strategy that will have three prongs, one of them is laying bear the atrocities committed by the venezuelan government and putting forward a new plan emerging from the crisis. The second is providing a road map for additional u. S. And regional efforts and the third is drawing attention to the actions of International Actors of venezuela and the implications for u. S. National security and regional stability and good broad and ongoing and longerterm efforts from Latin America Center. As such, todays event marks beginning effort on our part. We are lucky that the secretary general could join us at this pivotal moment, less than a week of the opposition, i think we will also hear about the strike yesterday in some of the outcome of that as well. And now its my pleasure to introduce the secretary general who was elect today lead the oas in march 2015, since he took office, he has led an incredible fight for peace and prosperity in veps venezuela. Before coming to oas, he served as uruguay minister that gained uruguay recognition and served in Uruguay Chamber of senators and held ambassadorial positions, to germany and china. Not embassador of china but posted to china. You were embassador. So after he gives brief remarks he will sit down in keynote conversation with jay jason and secretary general, i will end up by saying youre a consensus builder and highlywill wanted leader. You will need all the skills right now. Its my true honor to welcome you today. The secretary general will speak in spanish, you have headphones and simultaneous translation, thank you all for coming and we look forward to your remarks, sir. [applause] [speaking in spanish] to be here with you. It is a pleasure. Its a Political Forum probably the most complete in the hemisphere where we have dialogue about rights and the wellbeing of citizens. This based on regional solidarity. The commitment of the hemisphere defending democracy is a way to strengthen relationships between countries and the interamerican democratic charter was a preventive measure when the Member States agreed about the mechanism that would protect democracies, they established a very explicit authority that would act in each of these signature signatory countries if necessary. This could prevent or stop any democracies and one one of the tragedies of venezuela is if there had been a willingness to apply the charter and to comply with it, we could have perhaps avoided what has happened in the country. In venezuela when you act in defense of democracy, if we had acted in defense of democracy, this would have avoided the situation from reaching the point it has now where it is a security and humanitarian crisis. With the government that has undermined democracy to the point of becoming a real dictatorship. Yes, it is true that venezuela should solve its own problems, however, when the words of civilians and have the Government Act with weapons against them, then we have to reestablish the order internationally we should do this to establish fundamental rights in the country. When the people of venezuela went out to protest for their rights, the government instituted terroristic actions and they have systemically violated disarmed people. They have killed more than 100 people in a 100 days, almost a person per day. The number of wounded is goes beyond 15,000, until july 12th, 244 Political Prisoners, the highest in history and the statistics include lose of life as humanitarian crisis worsens because many of them are dying for lack of food and medicines for chronic diseases. Almost two Million People have left the country in the past three years because of lack of of no rule of law than the crisis has worsened. Venezuela has to make a great effort to improve the situation of its citizenry and this is unsufferable for the country. The police, the judges, everybody has been coopted and the country cannot be managed this way. When the violence comes from the government and institutions, then the problem is even greater. When Drug Trafficking is within the state and its institutions, then that challenge is completely new to our continent. So to dismantle its not dismantling a dictatorship but the drug traffickers from the state of venezuela. The venezuelan government has systemically rejected humanitarian aid offers, however, but it has bought arms with the bit of resources they still have. Every death in venezuela should hurt the whole International Community. It is especially hurtful and painful for this hemisphere, its our responsibility to defend the people of venezuela and denounce all human right violations and the violent situation it is going through. Last sunday, the people went out on the streets to defend democracy. 7million 7 and a half Million People called to the armed forces of venezuela to defend the constitution, they asked Government Employees to respect the constitution, they asked for free and Transparent Elections as a democratic solution to this crisis. This is something that should be done by the people. These people went despite of their fear and they were being threatened by the government. The people are claiming all their rights and they should be listened to. And there is more worth in value in those people than all the oil they have, but the government has decided to use torture and leave blood on the streets. Those people cannot be underestimated. The first clue to recover democracy and rule of law is that venezuelan citizenry, no government should forget its people. To govern and opposition, this is the main problem of the government, they do not connect with the needs of the people and to treat the people as amorphous mass that is malleable and mold to your own desire, thats the worst thing a politician should do and that goes for the opposition as well as the government. We have not learned from the previous dictatorships that characterize opposition to democracy in the second part of the 20th century. We didnt learn from that. We would have never allowed this to happen. The oas is the only Political Forum that has spoken about this crisis. It is the only one that is discussing the problem of venezuela permanently. We have luis alfonso de alba who inspired the resolution who was passed on april 3rd which declares that there has been constitutional alteration in venezuela and it calls for venezuela to restore democracy according to the principles of the oas charter and interamerica, so regime had all this impunity to torture, to kill but they dont have that anymore according to what they have said and our voices have to be made louder because we are still going through a process where it is necessary to consolidate, the program that it needs, what we pointed out on may 30th to the Permanent Council, we presented this and we were trying to revoke, have this recall referendum that was calling for new free Transparent Elections. All Political Prisoners should be freed. The powers of the state should be reinstated. We need an emergency plan to take care of those who are in the greatest need, those who are suffering from lack of food and medicine. And we should also be harsh and contain this to be coherent. There is still work to be done and what we have done has already brought venezuela closer to a solution but the people of venezuela have inspired us to find a solution at the cost of their own lives and those lives should be respected and so should the people of venezuela, thank you. [applause] [speaking in spanish] thank you very much, secretary general. Good morning, everyone, im jason, i lead the Atlantic CouncilLatin America Center, we are honored to have you here today for the launch of our new venezuela work and please let me, again, applauding secretary general for all of his work every day on behalf of the venezuelan people. [applause] those who know the Latin America Center and Atlantic Council know that we like to focus on positive transformations happening in latin america and many transformations but venezuela certainly not one of them. Whether he do everything here to lay the ground work for a better venezuela, for venezuela that people can live and peace and security and a venezuela thats a partner rather than a blight in the transformation. Lets discuss some of the pressing issues facing venezuela and the International Community and then we will open up to questions. I see this is a full room with many cameras in the back, so i want to make sure that we have time for a few questions from everybody here. Mr. Secretary general, the major governments of the hemisphere, mexico, brazil, argentina, chile, canada, colombia, peru the u. S. And others all support of oas effort to pass a resolution on venezuela last month in cancun. Yet political road blocks, you mentioned a testimony on wednesday before the senate forum Relations Committee that countries that represent just 10 of the population of the americas prevented that resolution from moving forward. What in your mind explains that continuing Political Support for the venezuelan government on behalf of that group of countries . [speaking in spanish] that was also asked of me by the senate and my response is the same. The countries have National Interests and due to this sometimes they inspire their actions and they affect the work they do in the international stage. So these International Actions that are based on these National Interests is a constant practice, this country does it as well, almost all of the time. So we cannot judge anyone for acting this way. There is logic for the government, they established strong ties with countries in latin america and the caribbean. They have created economic interests, political interests and so that logic is not easy to undo because when you see them on paper, they seem abstract but in the case of venezuela, we see the practical importance that those principles and values have and what fundamentals values really mean to life of people and social behavior and Political Behavior as we have seen in venezuela, the separation of powers affects the institutions of a certain country and they can be eroded if not taken care of and the republican [inaudible] have also affected the variables. So all of that together does play a role when things come to a certain point, so the countries have made their decisions in a sovereign way and i cannot judge any decision of any country, but this has been an evolution. Consider a broader set of actions in the u. S. Congress and the senate as an 18 as a bipartisan bill under consideration to provide humanitarian assistance for the venezuelan people. Then the u. S. Government is very much focused on the situation of venezuela. From your perspective what would be some of the most effective ways taking off her hat as secretary jewell of the oas but working outside in addition to the oas that the u. S. Could be most effective, things this initiation should be considering . One piece of action under consideration is a potential of Oil Sanctions for example. In your opinion what be some most effective things that this administration could do to really a map of the venezuelan people . [speaking in native tongue] translator im not capable of taking off my secretarygeneral hat. They might kick me out entirely. [laughing] no, its true. So actions taken by the u. S. Administration have been very positive in terms of applying pressure to the regime. That is true. Sanctions applied against the Vice President and against the Constitutional Assembly happen very positive. And we think that future sanctions would be very positive, sanctions are the highest or the strongest International Tool for applying pressure. And we want, we dont believe they should ever be any kind of military intervention. That is absolutely an unacceptable option. So the highest form of pressure is, in fact, to apply sanctions. Sanctions, apply pressure but they in no way resolve issues of internal pressure and a country, however. International pressure can certainly help. Weve seen examples. We saw in the instance of apartheid. External pressures accelerate the fall of that regime but there was also very strong pressure from the inside, people that were committed to the idea of one vote for every single person. Went into a pressure isnt there, the extra pressure is not sufficient, and the obvious example of that is the cuban dictatorship. No matter how hard the precious on the outside, it didnt work. People left but there was no pressure. Critically as a talk about theres an assembly, votes will be july 30, 9 days from today. Your top concerns, what might transpire in the next nine, ten days, if the next couple of weeks, the next couple of months, what are people potentially not talking about that they should be concerned about or not thinking about they should be concerned about as are looking ahead to what might transpire in the short term, in the medium term as well . [speaking in native tongue] translator well, i believe the problems are solved by listening to the people. If the government had to listen to the people, the problems would already be solved. If everything that the people try to express in september and october of last year, if the government had truly listened, then we would be looking at an entirely different situation today. If all the signatures of the people asking for recall had been respected, the situation would be different. What we have now is a tragedy, 100 dead in protests. That is a tragedy. The voice of the people not to be heard, the scale of the tragedy is something that should be paid attention to by the government and by the opposition. So whats the underlying issue here . I always say no matter how many times you