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Venezuela: Lima Group refuse to recognize Maduro mandate

  • January 04, 2019

The Lima Group of Latin American countries on Friday urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abstain from being sworn in for a second term he won in elections widely condemned as illegitimate, and cede power until new elections can be held. 

The bloc said in a statement that they would not recognize Maduro’s socialist government after a meeting in the Peruvian capital to discuss how to step up international pressure on the Maduro regime.

The meeting discussed Venezuela’s crisis ahead of Maduro’s plans to be sworn in on January 10. Mexico also partook but didn’t sign the statement.

Read more: What is going on in Venezuela? 

01:35 mins.

What did the Lima Group decide?

The declaration states that the following measures have been agreed by the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Saint Lucia:

  • Reevaluate the status or level of diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
  • Prevent Venezuelan officials from entering the territory of the countries of the Lima Group.
  • Suspend military cooperation with the Maduro regime.
  • Urges other nations to support an International Criminal Court investigation into the commission of possible crimes against humanity in Venezuela.
  • Calls on the international community to adopt similar measures.

‘Void of legitimacy and credibility’

At least 16 Latin American nations, as well as the United States, had warned Venezuela ahead of the May 2018 election that it would be seen as illegitimate by the region unless it restored democratic standards before the poll.

A joint declaration put out at the Summit of the Americas in Peru in April said the election would be “void of legitimacy and credibility” if it went ahead under current conditions. 

The opposition in Venezuela said that President Maduro has prepared a rigged snap election to deliver him a new mandate and tighten his hold over his economically devastated country.

Maduro has presided over an financial crisis which has led to recession, hyperinflation and a collapsing economy, which have left the population with critical shortages of electricity, food and medicine, as well as a crumbling infrastructure.

  • Protests in Venezuela

    Venezuela on the brink

    The last straw

    Violent protests erupted across the country following a Supreme Court decision in late March 2017 to strip the legislative branch of its powers. Amid an international outcry, President Nicolas Maduro reversed the decision, but it was too late. Thousands took to the streets to call for new elections and dozens died in clashes with security forces.

  • Empty shelves at grocery store

    Venezuela on the brink

    Starvation a growing problem

    Venezuelans spend more than 30 hours a week waiting in lines to shop, and are often confronted with empty shelves when they finally enter a store. President Maduro blames the crisis on US price speculation. The opposition, however, accuses the Socialist government of economic mismanagement.

  • Colombians gathering medical supplies

    Venezuela on the brink

    Health care crisis ‘reminiscent of war zones’

    In Colombia, Venezuelans are collecting medical supplies to send home, as seen in this picture. Hospitals around the country have compared conditions to those seen only in war zones. As patient deaths rise, health officials have sounded the alarm on the rise of malaria and dengue fever.

  • Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas (picture-alliance/dpa/P. Miraflores)

    Venezuela on the brink

    Venezuela’s National Assembly seizes power from opposition-led congress

    Venezuela’s pro-government constituent National Assembly was established in July of 2017. The new body adopted the authority to pass legislation on a range of issues, effectively taking away the powers of congress, which was under the opposition’s control. The move drew wide international condemnation.

  • Angela Merkel meets Venezuelan opposition lawmakers in Berlin (picture-alliance/dpa/AFP/T. Schwarz)

    Venezuela on the brink

    Western powers slap sanctions Venezuela’s ruling officials

    In response to the ongoing political crisis, the United States and European Union imposed a series of sanctions against ruling officials. The US has blacklisted members of the Constituent Assembly and frozen all of Maduro’s assets that are subject to US jurisdiction. The EU, meanwhile, has banned arms sales to the country and is lining up to freeze assets and impose travel restrictions.

  • Venezuela helds two votes: regional elections and elections for governors, which were overdue since 2016. (picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos)

    Venezuela on the brink

    Government victorious in regional elections

    In October 2017, Venezuela held two votes: regional elections and elections for governors, which were overdue since 2016. The opposition boycotted the vote, but then split, as some candidates and small parties chose to participate. This caused a deep rift within Maduro’s opponents. The government went on to sweep the contest, which detractors say was unfair and heavily favored the regime.

  • Venezuela Opposition Protest 100 Bolivar Geldschein (picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos)

    Venezuela on the brink

    Debt default looms

    Last November the oil-rich, cash-poor nation faced its day of reckoning, as officials met with creditors to hammer out a deal to keep the country from defaulting on its debt — estimated to be up to $150 billion (€127 billion). US and EU sanctions, however, have limited the chance of an agreement. Creditors will almost certainly go after the country’s oil reserves.

  • Oscar Perez, Maduro's enemy number one, was found and killed by police in the Caracas neighborhood of El Junquito. (Getty Images/AFP/I. Zugasti)

    Venezuela on the brink

    The ‘massacre of El Junquito’

    In January, Oscar Perez, Maduro’s enemy number one, was found by police in the Caracas neighborhood of El Junquito. The ex-cop had been on the run since he launched grenades at government buildings in the wake of the 2017 protests. The government labeled him a “terrorist.” Perez and six other rebels were killed in the ambush, which the opposition denounced as an “extrajudicial killing.”

  • Presidential elections scheduled for May 20 (Getty Images/AFP/F. Parra)

    Venezuela on the brink

    Presidential elections scheduled

    The new National Assembly announced in January that it would grant Maduro’s call for snap presidential elections on April 22. The electoral authority, CNE, later moved the date to May 20. The EU, the US and 14 Latin American nations warned that they would not recognize the results. The mainstream MUD opposition alliance boycotted the vote.

  • Venezuela Wahlen (picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos)

    Venezuela on the brink

    Maduro wins

    Maduro was re-elected to a second six-year term on May 20 with about 68 percent of the vote. Turnout was only 46 percent, according to the election body. However, the MUD opposition alliance, which boycotted the vote, put turn out at less than 30 percent. The Organization of American States called the elections neither free nor fair.

    Author: Kathleen Schuster


kw/rt (AP, AFP, Reuters)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW’s editors send out a selection of the day’s hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

Article source: http://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-lima-group-refuse-to-recognize-maduro-mandate/a-46963826?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

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