The Inter-Parliamentary Union Visits Venezuela

In response to an official invitation made in April, a mission from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), headed by its President Duarte Pacheco, arrived in Caracas to meet with Venezuelan lawmakers and other political actors.

RELATED:

Lifting of Sanctions Against Venezuela Is Negotiation Priority

This mission is expected to make recommendations to its governing bodies on “how the IPU can contribute to the overall efforts to resolve the political crisis in Venezuela in a sustainable way," it stated.

IPU Human Rights Committee President Nassirou Bako-Arifari, Vice President Alejandra Reynoso and the Executive Committee member Juan Letelier are part of the delegation, which will hold meetings with both the National Assembly (NA) President Jorge Rodriguez and opposition lawmakers.  

The agenda of the IPU delegation will also include meetings with members of the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the Parliamentary Special Commission for Dialogue, Peace, and Reconciliation.

Previously, Rodriguez invited the IPU to visit Venezuela to “discover the truth about our nation beyond the media attacks against it and the NA work for peace and reconciliation.”

IPU is an Geneva-based organization that aims to foster cooperation between the parliaments of its 179 member countries and 13 regional parliaments. To this end, it organizes seminars, workshops, and meetings.

In May, for instance, it convened a meeting to take stock of the impact of COVID-19 and to discuss how parliaments can play a central role in the post-pandemic recovery efforts. Currently, Portugal holds this organization's presidency, which is renewed every three years through the vote of its members.