The Lima group of Latin American countries plus Canada reaffirmed its refusal to recognize the results of May's presidential election in Venezuela, which led to the victory of Nicolas Maduro, during a meeting of the group's national coordinators in Bogota.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th December, 2018) The Lima group of Latin American countries plus Canada reaffirmed its refusal to recognize the results of May's presidential election in Venezuela, which led to the victory of Nicolas Maduro, during a meeting of the group's national coordinators in Bogota.
According to a statement published by the Colombian Foreign Ministry, Peruvian Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela, who presided at the Wednesday meeting along with his Colombian counterpart, said that the election "did not meet minimum requirements to be recognized as legitimate" and that the Lima group "is ready to support Venezuelans in everything, within limits of our abilities, of course, through a peaceful process without the use of force."
A meeting of the Lima Group countries' foreign ministers is scheduled for January 4.
Venezuela's neighbors along with other countries, including the United States, have expressed their doubts over the legitimacy and fairness of the vote, which resulted in Maduro getting re-elected for his second term. The Lima Group, which comprises Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru, subsequently decided to downgrade the level of their diplomatic relations with Caracas.
