Nicolás Maduro states that "the coup d'etat was defeated" and warns: "You will see the fate of the traitors" – 30/04/2019

Declaration of the Lima Group on the situation in Venezuela

Governments of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela, members of the Lima group:

(1) express their full support for the Venezuelan people's constitutional and popular process under the leadership of President Juan Guaidó to restore democracy in Venezuela; and they refuse to see this process described as a coup d'etat.

2) They demand full respect for the life, integrity and freedom of all Venezuelans, and in particular all members of the National Assembly and all leaders of the Venezuelan democratic political forces as well as the immediate release of political prisoners.

(3) reiterate their appeal to the Venezuelan National Armed Forces to demonstrate their loyalty to the President in charge, Juan Guaidó, in the exercise of his constitutional functions as Commander-in-Chief of the latter; so that, faithful to their constitutional mandate of being at the exclusive service of the Nation and not of a person, cease to serve as instruments of the illegitimate regime for the oppression of the Venezuelan people and the systematic violation of their fundamental rights.

4) Nicolás Maduro is condemned to stop the usurpation so that the democratic transition, the constitutional normalization and the economic and social reconstruction of Venezuela can begin.

(5) They warn of the direct responsibility of Nicolás Maduro and the armed forces and intelligence services for his illegitimate regime for the indiscriminate use of violence in order to repress the process of democratic transition and recovery of the rule of law in Venezuela.

(6) to urge the international community to follow developments closely and to give political and diplomatic support to the legitimate aspirations of the Venezuelan people to return to democracy and freedom without the oppression of the dictatorial regime and illegitimate Nicolás Maduro.

7) They declare themselves in permanent session and decide to meet face to face on Friday, May 3 in Lima (Peru).