Paula Lugones
03/24/2021 8:36 PM
Clarín.com
Politics
Updated 03/24/2021 8:36 PM
The government's decision to withdraw Argentina from the Lima Group was announced, although without mentioning Washington, with criticism of the policies promoted from Washington towards Venezuela.
The United States reacted to the measure and reiterated the need for a solution to the Venezuelan crisis with
"free and fair elections"
and indicated that it hopes to
"strengthen coordination with international partners."
Before a
Clarín
query
,
a spokesman for the State Department's Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs said that “the United States believes that there must be a negotiated solution to the crisis precipitated by Maduro.
There must be free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections in Venezuela.
We hope to strengthen coordination with international partners that are committed to a peaceful and democratic future in Venezuela ”.
The Government announced this Wednesday in a statement that it had
differences with the region on how to face the crisis with Venezuela
and the Nicolás Maduro regime and said that it was withdrawing Argentina from the Lima Group, “in a context in which the pandemic has made havoc in the region, the sanctions and blockades imposed on Venezuela and its authorities ”.
The policy of the United States towards Venezuela has been to try to suffocate the Maduro regime with punishments for the president's environment and economic sanctions.
Argentina had been one of the founding members of the Group under the administration of Mauricio Macri, but since Alberto Fernández took office, the government walked away and never signed its documents.
The United States is not a member of the Group, but its opinion is strong in that forum.
President Joe Biden continues Donald Trump's sanctions policies and also recognizes Juan Guaidó as interim president.
"I don't think the Americans are surprised by the decision
,"
a source with knowledge of the matter in Washington
told
Clarín
, "because in fact Argentina does not participate in the meetings, publicly contradicted the group's statements and joined the international Contact Group where are the Europeans ”.
Francisco Monaldi, an
expert on Venezuela at Rice University, does not agree with that vision and told
Clarín
that “although they have other priorities at the global level, the situation in Venezuela is perhaps the main headache of US foreign policy in South America.
The Biden administration will frown on any obstacle to a negotiation in Venezuela and Argentina's decision to withdraw from the Lima Group will be perceived as negative in that sense, making the relationship between the two countries difficult in other areas ”.
Noam Lupu,
professor of Political Science at Venderbilt University, pointed out that “clearly the departure of Argentina implies a difference between the position towards Venezuela of the Fernández government and that of the United States.
Biden has recognized Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela and refuses to negotiate with Maduro or review the sanctions that the US continues to impose.
This can indeed create a problem for relations between Argentina and the United States, although I believe that Biden is much more concerned about what is happening politically in Central America - because of the effects it has on immigration - than what is happening with the Venezuelan government. .
Furthermore, this could also be a point of negotiation for Argentina, if Fernández is willing to return to the Lima Group in exchange for some US concession. "
Washington. Correspondent