CARICOM Heads of Government have sounded their “grave concern” over the political instability in Venezuela and have offered to assist in mediation to prevent further crisis.
The Heads of Govern-ment of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Foreign Ministers of Grenada and Suriname met by video-conference on Thursday about the situation, which they say has the potential to lead to greater suffering of the Venezuelan people.
“Heads of Government are following closely the current unsatisfactory situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a neighbouring Caribbean country. They expressed grave concern about the plight of the people of Venezuela and the increasing volatility of the situation brought about by recent developments which could lead to further violence, confrontation, breakdown of law and order and greater suffering for the people of the country,” they said in a statement afterward.
The statement added that the Heads of Government reaffirmed their guiding principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights and democracy.
Heads of Government, it further said, reiterated that the long-standing political crisis, which has been exacerbated by recent events, can only be resolved peacefully through meaningful dialogue and diplomacy. “In this regard, Heads of Government offered their good offices to facilitate dialogue among all parties to resolve the deepening crisis,” the statement added.
The Heads of Government also emphasised the importance of the Caribbean remaining a Zone of Peace, while reaffirming their commitment to the tenets of Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter, which calls for Members States to refrain from the threat or the use of force, and Article 21 of the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS), which refers to territorial inviolability.
They further called on “external forces” to refrain from doing anything to destabilize the situation and underscored the need to step back from the brink. The statement said they called on “all actors, internal and external, to avoid actions which would escalate an already explosive situation to the detriment of the people” and which could have far-reaching negative consequences for the wider region.
Additionally, the CARICOM Heads of Government agreed that the Chairman of Conference, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Dr Timothy Harris, would seek an urgent meeting with the United Nations’ Secretary-General to request the UN’s assistance in resolving the issue.
On Thursday, the Government of Guyana, which is a CARICOM Member State, in a statement said it was gravely concerned at the deepening of the political crisis in Venezuela and supported calls made at both the regional and international levels for immediate dialogue involving all political and social actors, with a view to the preservation of the democratic process and a return to normalcy.
“Guyana calls on all parties to desist from actions that might lead to further violence and loss of lives,” it said. “The Government of Guyana remains firmly supportive of efforts to resolve the crisis through peaceful means and with full respect for human rights and the rule of law,” it added.
Guyana recently signed on to declarations by the Lima Group and the OAS, which have declared Nicolas Maduro’s re-election as Venezuelan president to be illegitimate.
