Participating countries at the
International Conference for Democracy in Venezuela, held Tuesday in Lima, agreed that holding new elections in Venezuela is a starting point for resolving the crisis in the Bolivarian nation.
"To that end, the international community's role will be key to help ensure the electoral process is free, fair, and transparent," Peru's Foreign Affairs Minister Nestor Popolizio said at the end of the event.
He also noted the agreement over stressing the urgent need to effectively assist the humanitarian
situation in Venezuela and the more than 4 million Venezuelan nationals who have fled their nation in an unprecedented exodus in the region.
"The magnitude of this migratory crisis makes it essential that the international cooperation should be carried out immediately and widely to approach it with a supportive attitude," he stated.
Only about US$150 million of the total financial requirements estimated by the United Nations for this year —that is, 21% of the target amount— has been collected for the region to cope with the Venezuelan exodus.
He warned that this situation contrasts dramatically with the support given to address similar cases in other regions around the world.
In this sense, he assured that countries have expressed willingness to assist Venezuela in its economic recovery, and welcomed the speech of the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), who leads the analysis of the situation and the development of proposals to overcome it along with other financial institutions.
The International Conference for Democracy in Venezuela was called by Peru's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The event brought together participants from 57 countries (including Peru) and three international organizations: the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the European Union (EU), and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF).
(END) RMCH/RMB/MVB
Published: 8/7/2019