Argentina withdraws from the Lima Group: "Isolating the Government of Venezuela has led to nothing"

In a gesture of support for Venezuela, the Argentine Government has announced the withdrawal of the Lima Group, created in 2017 to accompany the Venezuelan opposition in the search for a solution to the social, political and economic crisis.

The decision of the Peronist Executive of Alberto Fernández breaks with the policy of isolation of Nicolás Maduro promoted by his predecessor, Mauricio Macri.

Through a statement, the Argentine Foreign Ministry has said that the actions promoted by the Lima Group to "isolate the Government of Venezuela and its representatives have led to nothing" and in "the participation of a sector of the Venezuelan opposition as a more member ”.

Argentina has reiterated its commitment to an "inclusive dialogue that does not favor any particular sector, but does favor elections accepted by the majority with international control" and underlined Maduro's responsibility for this dialogue to be productive and include the opposition already social actors such as the Church, businessmen and NGOs.

“In a context in which the pandemic has ravaged the region, the sanctions and blockades imposed on Venezuela and its authorities, as well as the destabilization attempts that occurred in 2020, have only aggravated the situation of its population and, in particular, that of its most vulnerable sectors ”, highlights the document.

"Argentina will continue to maintain its commitment to stability in the region, and will seek to direct peaceful, democratic solutions that are respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of each State," he concludes.

A predictable decision

The tension between the Government of Fernández and the other 13 participating countries of the Lima Group had increased since it took office in December 2019. Last October, Argentina had already refused to subscribe to the Group's statement in which they rejected the elections called by Maduro and the support for Juan Guaidó was renewed.

Argentina then described the opposition leader as "an alleged president that Argentina does not recognize and who never had the effective exercise of the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."

Fernández's policy change regarding Venezuela had already left Brazil as the main hardliner against Maduro in the Lima Group.

In addition to these two countries, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Guyana and Saint Lucia are members.

Bolivia was not part of the founding nucleus of the Lima Group, but it joined after the overthrow of Evo Morales in 2019. This Wednesday, the Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, met in La Paz with representatives of the new government of Luis Arce as the first step for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations.