Venezuela denounces Panama's initiative to let opposition lawmaker speak to

OAS

CARACAS, March 21 (Xinhua/ Sun) -- Venezuela Friday denounced Panama's initiative to let a prominent Venezuelan opposition lawmaker address the Organization of American States (OAS).

"The government of (Panamanian President Richard) Martinelli has awkwardly put his country at risk on the international stage and has irresponsibly acted in a path that will have serious political and economic consequences that the Panamanian people don't deserve," the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Panama invited Venezuela's opposition representative Maria Corina Machado to the OAS headquarters in Washington to speak about alleged "repression" in Venezuela where 31 people have been killed in violent protests since Feb. 4.

The OAS voted 22-11 against the Panamian initiative, deeming it had finished off its discussion about the situation in Venezuela.

Machado told a press conference that not allowing her to speak at the OAS showed how "frightened" Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government is for the international community to know the "reality" of the country.