Ecuador also pulled out of UNASUR and Maduro was even more isolated

The president appointed by the Parliament of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, thanked the government of Lenin Moreno for his decision to withdraw from Ecuador of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) of a contribution aimed at "ending the dictatorial camouflage". Moreno took this decision as one step further in the foreign policy of his predecessor, Rafael Correa.

"We thank the President of Ecuador Lenin for putting an end to the dictatorial concealment represented by UNASUR," the opposition leader said on Twitter. Guaidó, who recently visited Ecuador, pointed out that his recent international tour meant "the end of" petrodiplomacy "and the beginning of the construction of a truly democratic and libertarian South American integration". Reference is made to the oil diplomacy built by the late Hugo Chávez and continued by his successor, the questioner Nicolás Maduro. Guaidó, like the 54 states that recognize it, reject the mandate of Maduro, emerged from the elections of May 2018.

Moreno announced the withdrawal of Ecuador, saying that UNASUR had become a "political platform" for the "whims of some irresponsible leaders". In addition, he recalled that a year ago, the bloc was paralyzed by the lack of replacement of Ernesto Samper as secretary general. "Half of the member states do not participate or contribute," he said. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru announced in 2018 that they would cease to participate indefinitely in UNASUR. It was a creation of Hugo Chávez in 2008.