Latin America and Europe negotiate "a peaceful and democratic solution" for Venezuela

L & # 39; call International Contact Group with Venezuela accepted today, at the end of his second and last day of meeting at Costa Rica, last Friday's invitation to Argentina and the rest of the member countries of the Lima Group meet to discuss a political solution to the Venezuelan crisis excluding the idea of ​​a foreign military intervention. In addition, he promised to send a political mission to Caracas to present and discuss peaceful alternatives.

The resolution was made public by the Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on reading the final declaration of the two days of debate between the participants who constitute this forum alternative to that of Lima. "The International Contact Group will continue to meet with regional and international partners," said Mogherini's spokesperson. Thank you and accept the invitation of the Lima group to meet. Decides to maintain similar exchanges with the countries of the CARICOM and other relevant interlocutors. "

The final declaration of the contact group sets as a priority avoid further escalation of the conflict in Venezuela At the same time, it establishes as imperative the restoration of democracy, the rule of law and the separation of powers. In addition, its members strongly reject the use of force against civilians and condemn fraudulent judicial proceedings, according to the letter of the document.

Grupo de Lima calls on the Venezuelan Armed Forces to show "loyalty" to Juan Guaidó

In the future, the contact group announces the installation of a humanitarian mission in Caracas, for which he calls on donors to increase their contributions while proposing to their management to coordinate these tasks on the basis of a proposal from the European Union to organize a first summit for this purpose. "The solution must be Venezuelan but the international community has the duty and the responsibility to facilitate it.. Without interference, without any form of military deployment, but creating the conditions for a political process, "he said yesterday. Mogherini at the end of the first day.

The members of the conclave, the third in the group, were also part of the CARICOM Caribbean bloc – Venezuela exerting influence over the widespread oil diplomacy Hugo Chavez– and the Holy See, which had already been unsuccessfully involved in the previous dialogue negotiations between Chavez and the opposition. Promoted by Europe in early February, the GCI includes France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as the countries of Latin America: Costa Rica, Uruguay, Ecuador and Bolivia. Its members include governments that recognize the Speaker of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as a responsible agent – Spain for example – and others who do not, and even maintain a strict alignment on the administration Nicolás Maduro -Like Bolivia. In this sense, it is presented as a more flexible forum in Lima in terms of voice.

Lima group calls for new elections for Venezuela

Uruguayfor example He left the Lima group in February refusing to follow the political line of its members to recognize Guaidó and his ambbadadors to listen to the United States. Neither dad Francisco, who called it "a pastoral imprudence", and Mexico, who left the forum after taking charge of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Costa Rica, on the other hand, is one of the two groups and could be one of the bridges to bring together positions to forge a common strategy between Europe and the region.

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