Representatives of the Lima and International Contact Groups meet to discuss Venezuela options
Representatives of the Lima Group and the International Contact Group will assemble in New York City today to discuss the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.
Both bodies were formed to exert international pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maudro to step down from power. To date, some three million Venezuelans have been forced to flee their homes due to shortages of food, health care and other basic services.
Expectations from the US and Juan Guaido’s opposition that the country’s powerful military would stop supporting Mr Maduro have yet to come to fruition. Talks in Oslo between representatives of the two contending regimes stalled last week when it became clear that Mr Maduro would refuse to step down. The US continues keep military intervention on the table.
The negotiations in Oslo and between the two groups meeting today will continue to attempt to find a peaceful political resolution to the crisis. However, the longer the stalemate remains, the more likely it is that the humanitarian crisis will grow worse. This could spark a new wave of violence in the embattled country, increasing the chances of either a US or international military intervention.
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