Leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are expected to give a press conference Wednesday afternoon on their collective stance regarding Venezuela and Haiti after two days of closed doors meetings in St. Kitts. The CARICOM heads of state are also expected to comment on issues of climate change and migration in the Caribbean.
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CARICOM Reiterates Support for Peaceful Resolution in Venezuela
TeleSUR correspondent Laura Prada, reporting from the 30th CARICOM summit taking place this week Basseterre on St. Nevis Island, says that leaders will soon comment on the unfolding events in Venezuela.
On Tuesday the Caribbean heads of states and diplomatic officials reiterated their support for a peaceful solution for Venezuela and roundly rejected any interventionist tactics in the country like those proposed by the U.S. government under Donald Trump and the Lima Group heads of state.
“Our community could be justifiably proud of our stance and efforts to help the people of Venezuela resolve their crisis,” said CARICOM chairman and host Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris.
“I have no doubt in my mind that the principled position taken by CARICOM working with like-minded countries has prevented so far a catastrophe on our borders. We will continue to urge that dialogue is the only way to achieve a lasting solution,” said Dr. Harris Tuesday.
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has also long-supported dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition to find a peaceful resolution and Tuesday offered his country as a summit site for such talks.
"The doors of our territory are open for dialogue and intermediation so that there can be dialogue (carried out) by Uruguayans, many diplomats of the world, the U.N., (and) including Pope Francis," said the Mexican president.
TeleSUR’s Prada adds that the leaders will also comment on the current situation in Guyana where the coalition government of President David Granger collapsed in a 33-32 no-confidence vote brought forward by the main opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) by the National Assembly Dec. 21, 2018. The Granger administration has since appealed a High Court ruling in January that says the vote was valid.
According to Prada CARICOM delegates are to speak on Haiti where citizens are demanding the “resignation of President Jovenel Moise.” Moise took office in 2017 following protracted elections and is under tremendous pressure from opposition parties to step down over mishandling of domestic affairs as well as the use of funds from PetroCaribe, an oil alliance between several Caribbean states and Venezuela.
Police repression during protests that began several weeks ago has resulted in at least 26 deaths and 77 people being injured.
In a previous CARICOM statement, the organization said it “is deeply concerned about the continuing violent protests in Haiti, which have resulted in the loss of life, property, destruction of infrastructure and caused grave distress.”
Leaders will also make statements regarding climate change and migration in the Caribbean.