SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 9 February 2025, Sunday |

Argentina government withdraws from Lima Group

Argentina decides to leave the Lima Group, which was formed in 2017 by 16 countries in the region to confront the regime of Nicolás Maduro. The signatory states were Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru, then joined by Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia and Bolivia after the departure of Evo Morales from power, but now with the new government of Luis Arce, they have decided to resume diplomatic relations with the Chavista regime. President Fernández takes this decision after declaring “isolating the Venezuelan government has led to nothing”, with this determination he decides to put an end to the isolationist policy of former President Mauricio Macri, who was one of the great allies of opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Recall that the Lima Group was founded with the purpose of seeking a peaceful solution to the Venezuelan crisis, among its demands are the release of political prisoners, holding legal and verifiable presidential elections, offering humanitarian aid, providing solutions to Venezuelan migrants in these Latin American countries. In the last meetings of the Lima Group, the Argentine delegation was very ambiguous about its role within the organisation, since in the resolutions adopted or communiqués issued, the signature of the South American country did not appear anywhere.

“Once again, we reiterate that the best way to help Venezuelans is to facilitate an inclusive dialogue that does not favour any particular sector, but rather to achieve elections accepted by the majority with international control,” they said in a press release published on the website of the Argentine Foreign Ministry. Elisa Trotta Gamus who was ambassador of Juan Guaidó’s government in Argentina, rejected the decision of the Casa Rosada, through a tweet, “we regret the decision of the Argentine government to leave the Lima Group, which since 2017 has been fundamental to denounce the serious violations of human rights in Venezuela, and to work on the only real solution, which is to restore democracy in our country”.