Caracas, September 20 (RHC)-- The governments of Mexico and Uruguay released a joint statement Thursday to “reiterate” their support for dialogue between the Venezuelan government and opposition parties, applauding the Maduro administration for the release of legislator Edgar Zambrano as part of the negotiations between the two sides up until now.
“The Governments of Mexico and Uruguay reiterate, as we did on February 6th in Montevideo, that dialogue and negotiations are the only acceptable way to reach a peaceful solution to the situation that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is going through,” read a statement published by Mexico’s foreign relations office.
Last February, the two countries offered to act as mediators to the national dialogues, a measure that was eventually taken up by Norway, which has faciliated the talks in both Oslo and also Barbados in the Caribbean.
This week, the government and opposition leaders announced several agreements that were fruit of this round of talks that began in August. Earlier, Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said that the accord included the return of Socialist Party lawmakers to the National Assembly, the establishment of a new electoral body, the release of certain prisoners, and harnessing oil sales to buy medicines and food supplies for Venezuelans -- a measure the government has long-enacted.
Most importantly, both sides agreed to reject the illegal United States blockade on the South American country, and to defend Venezuelan rights over the Esequibo region.
The Uruguayan and Mexican presidencies urged for continual dialogue among the Venezuelan factions in a “civil and peaceful” manner "so that real and democratic solutions are reached based on trust between the parties.”
Completing a part of the deal, the Maduro administration released legislator Edgar José Zambrano on Tuesday. Zambraon played an important role in the failed coup attempt of the presidency, along side self-proclaimed interim president, Juan Guaido, on April 30 of this year. This was a move that the Uruguayan government under Tabare Vazquez and Mexico, under Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said they “valued.”
The two governments ended by reiterating their “firm commitment to collaborate and support any type of initiative for inclusive dialogue between Venezuelans that prioritizes peace and unrestricted respect for human rights.”
