As neutral parties to Venezuela’s crisis, the governments of Uruguay and Mexico will organise an international conference with diplomats from ten countries to discuss the country’s ongoing political turmoil. The February 7 conference will take place in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
Up to late yesterday, no invitation had been extended to Caricom to take part in the meeting, but a source said, if received, the regional grouping will respond favourably.
A recent statement from the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry said that the conference was in response to a call for dialogue by Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Both Mexico and Uruguay admitted to holding “neutral position vis-a-vis Venezuela” the statement said.
This call follows a meeting Guterres held on Monday with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Caricom chairman, Dr Timothy Harris, the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley and Irwin La Rocque Caricom Secretary-General.
At that meeting, Rowley expressed hope that in the not too distant future there will be “significant improvement and diminishing of tensions in Trinidad and Tobago’s neighbouring territory.”
Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro has been under international pressure to step down while Juan Guido, head of the country’s Opposition-led National Assembly had declared himself interim president of Venezuela.
On Tuesday, Rowley met with Ambassador Jonathan Cohen the US representative to the UN in New York. During those talk, Caricom’s guiding principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, respect for human rights and democracy during a recent meeting were reaffirmed.
Weighing in on the international conference, political analyst Prof John La Guerre said he saw no harm in Rowley being invited and attending the Uruguay meeting.
“If Caricom is going there for a conference it might be understandable. I see no harm in him attending,” he said
However, he warned Rowley “to avoid what seems like alliances because those things can create complications further down the road.”