Within the framework of the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations, the Foreign Ministers who signed the Declaration of Lima met for over an hour at the Westin Hotel in New York to discuss the situation in Venezuela.
Although there was no formal declaration - out of respect and solidarity for the government and the people of Mexico - at the end of the meeting, the group reiterated in all terms the consensus reached on August 8 in the Peruvian capital. "We hope that the possibility of opening a formal dialogue that will lead to the restoration of democratic order in Venezuela can become a reality", said Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz. In the same vein, he stressed that some members of the Lima group have been invited to participate in this dialogue, "and there is a desire to support their presence as long as it translates into concrete results and a credible dialogue, as the Lima declaration stated at the time".
The meeting was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the 12 signatory countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and, in the case of Panama, its Vice-Chancellor. They were joined by representatives of Jamaica, Guyana and Saint Lucia.
The Lima Group will meet again next Saturday; at which time they will issue a statement.