Lima Group calls for Maduro ouster 'without force'

US allies in the Lima Group of Latin American countries plus Canada have called for a regime change in Venezuela where President Nicolas Maduro is under immense pressure to step down.

The Lima Group, set up in 2017 with the aim of undermining Venezuela's socialist government, on Monday sided with US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself president last month.

The group issued a 17-point declaration in Ottawa, reiterating "their support for a process of peaceful transition through political and diplomatic means without the use of force."

The declaration by Canada, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Peru insisted that any regime change should take place without a military intervention.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said a US military intervention in Venezuela was still on the table after his security adviser John Bolton suggested 5,000 troops could be sent to respond to the crisis in Venezuela.

The Lima Group called for measures to prevent the government in Caracas “from conducting financial and trade transactions abroad, from having access to Venezuela's international assets and from doing business in oil, gold and other assets.”

The US, which immediately recognized Guaido as the country’s “interim president,” has already imposed economic and political sanctions on the country.

The most recent measure was taken against oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) in order to funnel income from the country’s main oil exporter into the hands of the self-declared leader.

The European Union is considering imposing more sanctions on Venezuela but has not discussed an oil embargo, Malta’s foreign minister said on Monday. 

Observers say the new sanctions are set to worsen economic problems of Venezuelan people, who are already struggling under harsh American penalties. 

Bolton said at a briefing last week that the sanctions would cost Caracas $11 billion in lost export proceeds over the next year and block Maduro from accessing PDVSA assets worth $7 billion.

Maduro has accused Washington of stealing the company’s oil and said Bolton was openly calling for a coup from Washington.

SS