Foreign ministers from Unasur (Union of South American Nations) will be drafting a statement calling for peace and dialogue to end the month-long clashes in Venezuela when they be meeting on Wednesday in Santiago de Chile. The meeting and agenda have the support from the Venezuelan government.
Despite strong criticism from the opposition the Uruguayan government said it is prepared to receive Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on an official visit, and there is a 99% chance that this could occur next Thursday, said foreign minister Luis Almagro.
A Venezuelan soldier and a motor cyclist were killed in a standoff with opposition demonstrators who had set up a barricade along an avenue of Caracas, the vice president of the ruling Socialist Party said on Thursday.
A group of UN-appointed human rights experts has asked Venezuela for prompt clarification of allegations of abuse against anti-government protesters. The six independent experts said that they were deeply disturbed by allegations of cases of arbitrary detention of protesters.
Followers of Venezuela's late populist leader Hugo Chavez flooded the streets on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of his death, a sad but welcome distraction for his successor who has faced a month of violent protests.
Vice president Amado Boudou and Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman represented Argentina at Wednesday's ceremonies in honor of the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez on his death first anniversary, which was followed by huge crowds in Caracas.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday his government was breaking diplomatic relations with Panama after the country called a special meeting of the Organization of American States, OAS, to address the current state of protests in Caracas.
Venezuela has geared up for commemorations of populist leader Hugo Chávez's death despite continued protests against his successor that have shaken the OPEC member and threatened the legacy of El Comandante.
Foreign minister Elías Jaua said that Caracas will not accept international mediation in the current situation faced by Venezuela but nevertheless thanked Uruguay's president Jose Mujica for his efforts and knowledge about what's going on in his country.
The visit this week of Brazil's former president Lula da Silva to Havana could help to unravel the current political crisis in Venezuela according to Argentine political analyst Rosendo Fraga, since both countries have much to lose if the conflicting situation continues.