The "International Contact Group" has 90 days to find a way out of the Venezuelan crisis

A group of European and Latin American countries with diverse positions on Venezuela will try search in 90 days a way out of the crisis of the Caribbean nation, at a time when President Nicolás Maduro and the head of Parliament, Juan Guaidó, are at the heart of humanitarian aid.

The European Union (EU), eight bloc countries and five from Latin America are in the Montevideo presidential tower, in order to "contribute to create the conditions for a political and peaceful process"to the serious political crisis that is shaking Venezuela.

Who is part of the group?

The first meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) will take place at ministerial level this Thursday in Montevideo. Subsequently, the 90-day countdown will begin until the beginning of May.

Federica Mogherini, representing Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden, will be represented by the EU, which will be represented by the Head of European diplomacy.

On the Latin American side, the host Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and Costa Rica confirmed participation in this group. Although Mexico it does not formally integrate it, it is possible that it will do so in the future. Argentina does not integrate the GCI.

The initial goal was to have a small and balanced number of countries, which could allow a dialogue with both parties. However, although the EU as an organization has not yet done so, most of the bloc's countries, with the exception of Italy and a few others, recognized Guaidó as acting president, which provoked Maduro's wrath.

In the meeting no representative of the Maduro government or the Venezuelan opposition does not participate.

Dialogue yes, dialogue not

Maduro supported Wednesday "all steps and initiatives to facilitate dialogue" and affirmed that his government is "ready" to participate in a process of understanding.

"To God begging with dialogue, understanding, diplomacy … and with the mallet giving, with oiled guns to defend national sovereignty," said the Socialist President.

But Guaidó, who proclaimed himself acting president on January 23 and was recognized by some 40 countries The United States in mind, he repeated that "the Venezuelan opposition (…) will not lend itself to any type of false dialogue" that would allow Maduro to gain time.

The meeting is held in a moment of tension by the arrival of humanitarian aid in Venezuela, particularly by the United States, following a military blockade of a bridge on the border with Colombia, where a drug and food collection center was established.

Guaidó, 35, urged the military not to block the entrance of aid, which Maduro rejects as the spearhead of an invasion.

With shortages of food and medicine, as well as expected IMF inflation of 10 000 000% this year, Venezuela is plunged into the worst crisis in its modern history, which has caused the exodus some 2.3 million people since 2015., according to the UN.

The "Montevideo mechanism"

Uruguay, Mexico and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have announced their intention to establish a dialogue mechanism without preconditions.

The proposal, called the "Montevideo Mechanism", does not include among its four axes the celebration of an early presidential election, as requested by the Venezuelan opposition and many countries that have expressed their support for Guaidó , recognized president countries.

"If we demand elections at this time, we impose conditions that hinder dialogue, and the government and the opposition must accept, we will dialogue unconditionally," said Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo. Nin Novoa.

The four axes of the "Montevideo Mechanism" include a "immediate dialogue"generating conditions for the contact of the parties; "negotiation", with the search for common points and flexibility of positions; "Commitments", or specific agreements with specific deadlines, and "Implementation" these commitments with international accompaniment.

Mexico and Uruguay hope that the meeting in Montevideo will result in sending a consensus document to the United Nations (UN), which decided to stay out of any group promoting initiatives concerning Venezuela, in order to "give credibility" to its "offer of good offices". to the parties. "

Although the EU ensures that the final result will be decided by the Venezuelans and will not be imposed from outside, it highlights several necessary conditions such as the "release of political prisoners".

The other conditions are the "respect for the constitutional role of the National Assembly", the "balanced composition" of the National Electoral Council and the "elimination of obstacles to participation on an equal footing". opposition to the elections.

The members of the group hope that the international pressure, added to the deterioration of the economic situation in the country, will convince Maduro that it is a possible solution to the crisis in the country without sinking into violence.

If the group does not record enough progress at the end of its 90 day period or even before, it will be eliminated. The goal of limiting time to three months is to avoid giving too much time to Maduro.