Members of the organization are “following with extreme concern the situation in Venezuela”.
The countries that are members of the Group of Limas commend the U.S. initiative to establish an interim government in Venezuela to overcome the political crisis in which the South American republic is located. The Colombian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in this regard on Thursday.
“We [the Group] also appreciate the important proposal of the United States of America on the democratic transition in Venezuela, on the formation of an interim government”, – said the document, the text of which was published on the website of the agency.
It is noted that the members of the organization “are following with extreme concern the situation in Venezuela.”
“We urge the international community to work together to support the Venezuelans in finding a peaceful solution that will urgently address a serious crisis and emergency, as well as restore the rule of law, constitutional and democratic order in Venezuela”, – the document stresses.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced that Washington is putting forward a plan to resolve the internal political crisis in Venezuela, which includes the creation of an interim government in that country, composed of representatives of the opposition and the current government, and the subsequent lifting of sanctions. According to him, the U.S. proposes the establishment of “a State Council that will serve as a transitional government until the” presidential and parliamentary elections, which “are expected to be held in 6-12 months”.
However, as explained by Pompeo, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaydo must recognize that the transitional government is “the only executive body during the transition period. The Venezuelan leadership called the initiative an attempt to interfere in its internal affairs”.
The situation in Venezuela worsened after Guaydo, whose appointment as Speaker of Parliament was annulled by the Supreme Court two days earlier, declared himself Acting President on January 23, 2019. He was recognized as interim head of state by the United States, joined by the Lima Group countries (except Mexico), the Organization of American States and most EU countries. Maduro called it a coup attempt and announced that he had broken off diplomatic relations with the United States. Russia, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Syria and Turkey supported him.
Lima Group was formed in August 2017 in the capital of Peru, where representatives of 12 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru) signed a joint declaration on non-recognition of the Constitutional Assembly of Venezuela, convened at the initiative of Maduro without a referendum. Guyana and Saint Lucia later joined the group.