Venezuela asks Latin American powers to cancel OAS meeting over crisis

Thursday's meeting on the country's economic and political crisis could see its possible suspension be discussed

Venezuela has asked the Organization of American States (OAS) to cancel a Thursday meeting on the country's economic and political crisis in which its possible suspension could be discussed.

In a letter to OAS General Secretary Luis Almagro, Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez asked the 34-country organisation to scrap a session of its permanent council in Washington requested by Almagro to discuss possible punitive measures, including suspending Venezuela over its human rights record.

Almagro "is not entitled" to convene the meeting, the letter said, adding that his request must be declared "inadmissible."

Almagro requested the meeting invoking a charter which regulates government behaviour in member states and enables the OAS to address the "alteration of the constitutional order" that "seriously impairs" democracy in a member country.

Venezuela's opposition-controlled legislature had asked him to invoke the charter to assess whether the government of President Nicolas Maduro violated standards.

The opposition accuses the authorities of curtailing freedom of expression and jailing dozens of its leaders and activists for political reasons, among other charges. The government denies the accusations.

Maduro vehemently denounced Almagro's move earlier this month.

Almagro had "misused" the charter's authority by improperly opening the possibility of intervening in the affairs of a member state, Alvarez wrote on Monday.

The OAS council is set to talk with three ex-leaders trying to mediate between Maduro and opponents seeking to remove him from office tomorrow.

The three mediators are former Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and former presidents Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic and Martin Torrijos of Panama.

The mediation led by Zapatero has been proposed as a possible alternative to suspending Venezuela from the OAS.

Maduro's opponents are pushing to hold a referendum on whether to cut short his term to ease mounting humanitarian concerns.

The opposition blame him for an economic crisis that has led to food shortages and prompted riots and looting.

Maduro blames the crisis on an "economic war" against him by the business elite.