After several years in which the so-called “Group of Lima” of Latin American democracies had made great progress in speaking up collectively against Venezuela’s dictatorship, most of its members have now issued an unfortunate statement that will hurt the cause of freedom in Venezuela.
The statement by 11 countries of the “Group of Lima” rejected calls for a military intervention in Venezuela, which is diplomatically and legally correct, and shouldn’t surprise anybody. But it failed to propose any non-violent actions to press Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to take steps for the restoration of democracy, in flagrant contradiction with the group’s own previous commitments.
The Sept. 16 statement was signed among others by Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Paraguay, and stated that the solution to Venezuela’s crisis should be “through a peaceful and negotiated way.” It added that the signatory countries “express their concern and rejection of any action or statement that implies a military intervention” in Venezuela.
