Lima group meets in Ottawa to identify ways to increase support for Juan Guaidó

The Group of lima Monday welcomes an emergency meeting to deal with the crisis in Venezuela and discuss how to support Juan Guaidó, president of the Venezuelan Parliament and proclaimed president on January 23, 2007 in charge of the South American country.

The meeting was convened by Canada on January 28 "for discuss support for Juan Guaidó, interim president of Venezuela, and explore ways in which the international community can further support to the people of Venezuela. "

In his opening remarks, the Canadian President, Justin Trudeau, said Guaidó "has followed great courage to follow the legal path of democracy" and announced that his government to provide $ 53 million in humanitarian aid to Venezuelans.

A message was then sent by Guaidó, who stressed the need to continue to put pressure on the Chavez regime.

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland has justified the call of the group that led the international community's opposition to President Nicolás Maduro because "this crisis represents a huge security, humanitarian and for the continent ".

Freeland compared the situation with what happened in Syria. "There are already countries like Colombia or Brazil that have hosted a large number of Venezuelan refugees, some of the stories of these refugees, including unaccompanied minors in terrible conditions, are shocking," he said. Explain.

Although Canada did not specify who would attend the emergency meeting, The foreign ministers of the founding countries of the Lima group are expected towhich was originally composed of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Saint Lucia.

They are also supposed to attend observers representing the United States, Uruguay, the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS), as well as the Venezuelan opposition.

The politician and the Venezuelan lawyer Julio Borges will participate in the meeting on behalf of Guaidó, who can not leave Venezuela after the decision last week of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) to ban his departure from the country.

Canadian media said Sunday that Canada wants the Lima group keep the pressure on Maduro so that he is forced to leave the country and that Guaidó can convene new presidential elections.

The financial support that the international community can provide to Guaidó and his alternative government will be one of the keys to achieving this goal.

Among the options that the Lima group ministers can address in Ottawa are make available to Guaidó the badets of Venezuela abroad and the blocked funds of high officials of the Maduro regime.

The United States has already granted Guaidó control over funds held by the Venezuelan government in the country, which can serve as an example for the Lima group.

What is clear is that Canada, which played a leading role in the opposition to Maduro and which, according to its officials, played a key role in mobilizing national and international support around Guaidó, wants to maintain increasing pressure on the Venezuelan authorities.

(With EFE information)