Bolivia joins Lima Group to help resolve crisis in Venezuela

The interim government of Bolivia has decided to join the Lima Group to help resolve the Venezuelan crisis.  This was announced on Sunday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia announces the entry of Bolivia into the Lima Group," the statement said.  As noted in the foreign ministry, in this way the republic "will contribute to the achievement of a peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution to the crisis in Venezuela."

The Lima group was formed on August 8, 2017 in the capital of Peru, where representatives of 12 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Chile) signed a joint declaration on the non-recognition of the Constitutional Assembly  

Venezuela convened at the initiative of President Nicolas Maduro without a referendum.  Guyana and Saint Lucia later joined the group.

The situation in Venezuela escalated after opposition leader Juan Guaidó, whose appointment to the post of parliament speaker two days earlier was canceled by the Supreme Court, declared himself acting president.  The United States recognized him as the interim head of state, they were joined by members of the Lima Group (with the exception of Mexico), the Organization of American States and most of the EU countries.

Maduro called the incident an attempted coup and announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the United States.  His support was expressed by Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Syria and Turkey.