Past Presidents of the IDEA Group asked to continue the collection of humanitarian aid in Venezuela

Several former heads of state and government of Latin America and Spain urged the region on Monday continue with the collection of humanitarian aid for Venezuela Despite Saturday's crackdown, the volunteers who were going to enter the border with Colombia and Brazil had to enter.

In a joint statement, 16 Former Presidents of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA) they pointed out that the government of Nicolás Maduro "one more time"crimes incurred"humanity in the form of extermination"with the death of four people during the riots.

The signatories urged to maintain and increase the collection of humanitarian aid "the member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union, the members of the Lima Group and the National Assembly (Parliament) of Venezuela"

They indicated that help needed to be ready for "the moment he can enter Venezuela"help the majority of the population in emergency situations.

This weekend, volunteers tried unsuccessfully to enter Venezuela with drugs and food through the border between Colombia and Brazil, but were stopped with tear gas and pellets.

The former presidents blamed the violence, which also injured about 300 people, to "paramilitaries and collectives, including common offenders, advised by Cubans and members of the environment of the power's usurper, Nicolás Maduro Moros"

Former heads of government, including Spain's José María Aznar, have criticized the fact that members of the Venezuelan armed forces have "to set aside its constitutional duty to maintain and maintain the monopoly of arms in order to organize them for the protection of the Venezuelan people"

Statements were also signed by former Presidents Nicolás Ardito Barletta and Mireya Moscoso (Panama), Enrique Bolaños (Nicaragua), Felipe Calderón and Vicente Fox (Mexico), Rafael Ángel Calderón and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (Costa Rica), Eduardo Frei ( Chile)), César Gaviria Trujillo and Andrés Pastrana (Colombia), Osvaldo Hurtado and Jamil Mahuad (Ecuador), Luis Alberto Lacalle (Uruguay), Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga (Bolivia) and Juan Carlos Wasmosy (Paraguay).

After the riots of the weekend, the Lima group met Monday in Bogota and again called for elections in Venezuela, while avoiding any possibility of military intervention.

The presidents of Colombia, Iván Duque, attended the meeting; Panama, Juan Carlos Varela and Guatemala, Jimmy Morales, along with US Vice Presidents Mike Pence and Brazil's Hamilton Mourao, as well as Juan Guaidó, who once again received the unanimous support of the Acting President from Venezuela.

(With EFE information)