Medellin, June 28 (RHC)-- Uruguay withdrew from a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) being held in Medellin, Colombia Thursday to protest the presence of representatives of Juan Guaido at the regional meeting.  Guaido is the self-declared interim president of Venezuela whose numerous coup attempts against the government of President Nicolas Maduro have been fully and completely supported by the United States.

Uruguayan delegates at the OAS meeting say the Guaido representatives, Gustavo Tarre and Julio Borges, are illegitimate.  During the meeting, Uruguay's Deputy Foreign Minister Ariel Bergamino said: "Uruguay considers this an attempt to impose the recognition of this delegation as legitimate representatives of Venezuela.  It is no more and no less than a subjugation of the legality of the OAS.  There is no other choice but to be against an act of this nature.”  He added: “We are withdrawing from this meeting but not from the OAS."

Uruguay has long supported the elected government of Nicolas Maduro, attending his inauguration last January and stepping forward, along with Mexico, to host negotiations between the president and opposition leaders for the past several months.  Venezuela officially withdrew from the regional organization on April 27th this year.

Mexico, Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago and other OAS members rejected Tarre’s participation as a supposed Venezuelan delegate during the two-day meeting in Colombia, accusing the organization’s leadership under Secretary General Luis Almagro of having alliances with Venezuelan opposition.

Mexican delegates at the OAS meeting pointed out that the credentials presented by the opposition delegation did not meet the standards necessary to be admitted to the assembly, while Bolivia said it reserved the right not to recognize what is approved during the meeting because of the delegation’s presence.

Several Caribbean countries that support Maduro also expressed their rejection of the presence of the opposition delegation, while countries including right-wing ruled Argentina recognized the representatives.

As they walked out of the OAS sessions on Thursday, the Uruguayan delegates said they would not attend meetings during the first day of the event, but would take part in the final session.