SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic—U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday called for Venezuela to respect freedom of expression, release political prisoners and alleviate shortages of food and medicine as the South American country plunges deeper into economic crisis and political turmoil.
At a general assembly session of the Organization of American States in the Dominican Republic, Kerry also urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government to “honor its own constitutional mechanisms, including a fair and timely recall referendum that is part of that constitutional process.” Maduro’s opponents have launched a complex effort to recall him.
“Like all people of the Americas, Venezuelans have the right to use constitutional mechanisms to express their will in a peaceful and a democratic manner,” Kerry said.
