The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Lima Group – made up of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela agreed on Thursday to reject the announcement of holding anticipated legislative elections called by the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
In addition, at the meeting, foreign ministers, including Manuel Ventura, condemned the systematic attacks of the Maduro regime against the National Assembly of Venezuela and reiterated their strongest support “to the cessation of the usurpation, support the establishment of a transition government, and the holding of free, fair and transparent presidential elections.”
The decision was expressed in a joint statement signed Thursday in Guatemala City, where they met to discuss the crisis in the South American country.
The Ministers also backed president in charge Juan Guaidó, in the search for solutions in those processes aimed at restoring democracy in Venezuela. At the same time, they agreed to deepen negotiations with those countries that still support the Maduro regime, in particular with Russia, China, Cuba and Turkey, urging them to be part of the solution to a crisis that has an increasing impact in the region.
In addition to these agreements, the foreign ministers said that Maduro and his followers as responsible for the increasingly serious humanitarian situation of the Venezuelan people.