Mexico and Uruguay advocate dialogue in Venezuela
The governments of Mexico and Uruguay said Thursday that the path of dialogue and negotiation is the only acceptable way to achieve a peaceful solution to resolve a protracted political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.
Venezuelan migrants at a registration and migration post at the border. / Via REUTERS
Reuters | Sharay Angulo y Stefanie Eschenbacher
Listen to this article
Leer en español: México y Uruguay abogan por el diálogo en Venezuela
Although both countries welcomed the release of the Venezuelan vice president of the National Assembly, Edgar Zambrano, a key opposition figure, they urged Venezuela to release all prisoners in a similar situation in a joint statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).
A Caracas court ordered the release of the Venezuelan deputy this week, after being detained for four months in a military barracks, accused of treason.
His surprise release from prison came shortly after the government agreed to initiate a dialogue with a minority of opposition parties, parallel to conversations that until a few weeks ago he held under Norwegian auspices with the opposition coalition led by the head of Parliament, Juan Guaidó.
"We reiterate our firm commitment to collaborate and support any kind of initiative for inclusive dialogue between Venezuelans that privileges peace and unrestricted respect for human rights," said the joint statement.
Read also: Mexico reopens investigation into disappearance of 43 students
Venezuela suffers a deep political and economic crisis that has been exacerbated since January when, invoking the Constitution, the opposition Guaidó proclaimed himself interim president of the country arguing that the re-election of President Nicolás Maduro was fraught with irregularities.
Since the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador assumed as president of Mexico in December, the foreign policy of the Latin American country has focused on the peaceful settlement of disputes and not intervention in external affairs. However, Mexico has proposed itself as a guarantor for a possible negotiation between the Maduro government and the opposition.
