UN to Support Montevideo Dialogue Meeting on Venezuela

The UN spokesman said they "support the efforts of the international community that will help find a political solution" to the situation in Venezuela.

2019-01-24t104918z_1479416897_rc139ff46030_rtrmadp_3_davos-meeting-u-n

The Secretary General of the U.N., Antonio Guterres, gave his support to Venezuela Tuesday by endorsing a meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay scheduled for Thursday, which aims to try to promote a peaceful solution to the situation in the South American nation.

The U.N. had earlier this week offered to mediate the meeting – which will involve eight E.U. member states, as well as Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay.

The spokesman for Guterres, Stéphane Dujarric, said that Guterres “supports the efforts of the international community that will help find a political solution” to the situation in Venezuela.

According to South American publication, El Periodico, Gutteres announced his support for the dialogue, while maintaining his neutral stance regarding the situation in the Latin American nation, which was brought about when the United States recognized Juan Guaido, as Venezuela’s ‘self-appointed’ interim president.  

Guaido is an opposition lawmaker who declared himself as the ‘interim president’ of Venezuela on January 23 in violation of the country’s constitution. 

Speaking to the Voice of America, Guterres said, “Venezeula must decide the solution, elections are always a possibility.” 

He continued, “Our position in the present moment has been to tell the two parties; we are here, we are available to offer our good offices, at your request, so we do not impose ourselves (…) to find a political solution through the negotations that are necssary for that solution to be possible.”

When the publication asked Guterres about the possibility of a military intervention, his stance was clear; “I hope that does not happen,” he said. “The time for an era of foreign intervention passed long ago.”

Guterres was encouraged by last Saturday’s peaceful protest, saying “Our strong call is to avoid all forms of violence, that, of course, have no purpose and do not benefit anyone.”