Chancellor santiago cafiero He participated today in Bogotá, with his colleagues and senior officials from Latin America, Europe and the United States, in the International Conference on the political process in Venezuela, hosted by the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro.

In his speech, Cafiero highlighted: “Democracy, human rights, the restoration of Venezuela’s economy and the well-being of its people are very suitable goals. A goal that, as we have seen, can never be achieved through sanctions and blockades. This path makes international climate scarce and undermines the status of Latin America and the Caribbean as the most densely populated peace zone on the planet.”

“The way to find a political solution to the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is provided through dialogue among the Venezuelan people themselves, without external pressure or conditions, which, within the framework of its institutional and constitutional mechanisms, must guarantee the full legitimacy of democracy. and respect for Human Rights, thereby contributing to the recovery of the Venezuelan economy and the well-being of its people”, chastised the foreign minister of Argentina.

The aim of the meeting is to continue the political dialogue in Venezuela between the government and the opposition, following a round of negotiations organized by Mexico, within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in the country in 2021.

Accordingly, at the Paris Peace Forum held in November 2022, President Alberto Fernández, together with the leaders of France and Colombia, expressed their full support for the resumption of the negotiation process between Venezuela. The aim of this initiative is to encourage political actors to agree on a way out of the situation with a view to free and democratic presidential elections with an eye on international elections in 2024.

The countries participating in the meeting are: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, United States of America, France, Honduras, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa , Türkiye and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.