Lima group to meet in Canada on Feb. 4 to discuss Venezuela crisis

Canada will hold an "emergency meeting" of the Lima Group on the Venezuela crisis on February 4 in Ottawa, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.

The Lima group "will discuss measures we can take to support (the leader of the opposition) Juan Guaidó and the people of Venezuela," said Freeland. Last week, 11 of the 14 bloc countries recognized the president of the Venezuelan parliament, who proclaimed himself the country's interim president.

"The crisis created by (Nicolás Maduro) poses enormous difficulties in terms of security and humanitarian aid throughout the continent"Freeland explained at a press conference during which he announced the urgent meeting of the Lima group.

Freeland expressed concern over the "humanitarian and refugee crisis" that the Venezuelan political crisis has created and He 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, and some of the stories of these refugees, including unaccompanied minors in terrible conditions, are shocking," said Freeland.

"We have seen in Syria the way in which a refugee crisis can have broader and destabilizing effects, and it is important that we also focus on that," said the Canadian minister.

Freeland also pointed out that the American continent "compared to the rest of the world, has been a true paradise of democracy, our continent has gone in the right direction and it is really important to defend democracy and human rights on our continent, "he added.

Canada is one of the members of the Lima group, created on August 8, 2017, to face the crisis in Venezuela, of which it is also a part. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Saint Lucia.

Canada has already organized the third ministerial meeting of the Lima Group in October 2017 and has played a leading role in the international pressure on the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

On Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a telephone conversation with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, during which he discussed the Venezuelan crisis and agreed that the solution to the conflict lies in the celebration "of the day. free and fair elections ". .

On January 23, Canada recognized Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela and asked Maduro to cede power so that the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela will convene and hold elections in the country.