SUNDAY TIMES WEB DESK:Today, Canada is stepping up and announcing $53 million to address the most pressing needs of Venezuelans on the ground, including almost 3 million refugees,” Trudeau told a gathering of the Lima Group of nations.
“The bulk of the funds will go to trusted partners, and neighboring countries to help them support Venezuela and Venezuelans,” he said.
The 14-member Lima Group, which includes most Latin American countries and Canada, met to discuss how to support opposition leader Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself acting president last month.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Deputy Head of European Diplomacy Helga Schmid were to participate by videoconference in the debates.
Guaido, who heads the opposition-controlled National Assembly, addressed the gathering in a video message, saying he looked forward to having “free and fair elections as soon as possible in order to restore democracy to Venezuela.”
Venezuelans are “very close to reclaiming their freedom,” he said.
Most of the bloc last week urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down, and make way for elections to deal with an economic collapse that has sent Venezuelans flooding into neighboring countries.
Madrid, London, Paris, Berlin and several other European capitals on Monday also backed Guaido as interim president of Venezuela after Maduro refused to call a presidential election despite a European ultimatum.
Created in 2017, the Lima Group includes Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico (which did not recognize Guaido), Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Guyana and Saint Lucia.