MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru promoting Unasur summit to address Venezuela’s political situation

Peruvian Foreign minister Rafael Roncagliolo was cautious after Maduro’s complaints

Peru which currently holds the chair of Unasur, Union of South American Nations is promoting a new meeting of country members’ heads of state to address the political situation in Venezuela, Foreign minister Rafael Roncagliolo said on Thursday.

Roncagliolo was asked about the issue following a meeting of a Congressional committee in Lima but cautioned that the initiative was still in the ‘consulting process’ and this will be up to the block to decide.

“The reply will be given by Unasur as a whole and not by a single Foreign minister”, said Roncagliolo who last week was criticized by the Venezuelan government for having asked Unasur member countries to call for ‘tolerance and dialogue’ in Venezuela.

Venezuela is living a delicate political situation because the opposition does not accept the victory of Nicolas Maduro and has challenged the 14 April results before the Supreme Court, plus accusing the current government of political persecution and aggressions. According to the official results Maduro defeated opposition candidate Henrique Capriles by razor-thin 1.4% of votes cast.

Last April 18, a day before Nicolas Maduro was inaugurated as Venezuelan president Unasur leaders met in Lima with him and gave him their full support.

However last week when Roncagliolo asked for ‘tolerance and dialogue’ in Venezuela, Maduro reacted by calling the ambassador in Lima for consultations, but the incident fnally was overcome following a personal conversation with the Peruvian president Ollanta Humala.

Unasur is made up of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay (suspended since June 2012), Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela.