Mexico urges regional bloc not to meddle in Venezuela

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The Mexican government on Friday called on its peers to refrain from interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs, declining to back a regional declaration that urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro not to take office on January 10.

Mexico was the only one in the 14-member Lima Group that opted not to sign a statement critical of Maduro, the first time Mexico has not supported a declaration by the group.

Mexico was once among the most outspoken critics of Maduro. But ties with Venezuela have warmed under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who invited Maduro to his inauguration last month.

"We call for reflection in the Lima Group about the consequences for Venezuelans of measures that seek to interfere in internal affairs," said Maximiliano Reyes, Mexico's deputy foreign minister responsible for Latin America.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, (second right), his wife Beatriz Gutierrez Muller, (far right), Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, (second left), and his wife Cilia Flores, (far left), pose for a photo during their meeting in Mexico City, December 1, 2018. /VCG Photo

In a Friday evening state television broadcast, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said Maduro would take office on January 10 in a "legitimate and constitutional" process, which "does not require the approval of any foreign government."

He said Venezuela would take reciprocal action for diplomatic steps taken by any other government.

Reyes called for mediation and dialogue from the Lima Group, not isolation.

Mexico's stance was a blow to regional efforts to ramp up pressure on Maduro ahead of his inauguration.

Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza poses for a picture during an interview in Brussels, July 17, 2018. /VCG Photo

Diplomatic measures against Venezuela from neighboring countries remain timid, and Friday's communique added little to previous statements that urged Maduro to step down but offered few concrete mechanisms to make this happen.

Peru said in December that it would propose ending diplomatic relations with Venezuela to Lima Group members. But no country has yet announced it would sever ties.

The 13 remaining countries in the Lima Group that signed Friday's statement, which include Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, called Maduro's new term "illegitimate" and urged him to hand power over to the National Assembly until democratic elections can be held.

They also said they would seek to bar high-ranking Venezuelan officials from entering their territory or having access to their financial systems.

(Cover photo: Foreign ministers of the Lima Group, which includes Canada and most of Latin America's top powers, meet in Lima to assess the current situation in Venezuela, January 4, 2019. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): Reuters