Maduro dares Macri to call Unasur meeting
SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS ROW
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro this week declared he will attend a summit of Western Hemisphere nations in April, despite the host Peru saying he is unwelcome and banning him from the event.
An ge redbythemove,M aduro calle don P re si dentMauricioMac rito callas ummitof the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) to address the situation in his country, at which he said he would “defend the truth.” Argentina currently holds the rotating presidency of the body.
“I say to the president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri (...) convene, if you dare, do not be afraid (...) convene as president of Unasur a summit of Unasur countries and I will go to that summit and see those faces. I will defend the truth of Venezuela ,” Maduro tolda press conference with representatives from international media outlets in Caracas.
Peru said on Tuesday that Maduro’s “presence will no longer be welcome” at the Summit of the Americas in April, after a decision to hold early presidential elections in hiscr is is-hitcountryw as reachedwithoutt he supportoft he nation’s divided opposition.
Peru’s statement followed a meeting of the 14-nation Lima Group, also Tuesday, urging Venezuela to reconsider holding elections on April 22 on the grounds that conditions for a free and fair vote, as demanded by the opposition, did not currently exist. However, Maduro told reporters that despite Lima’s rejection he had received a letter from Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski the day after inviting him to the summit, scheduled for 13-14 April. ‘BY AIR, LAND OR SEA!’
“Are they are afraid of me? They don’t want to see me in Lima? They’re going to see me, come rain, thunder or lightning!” Maduro declared at the press conference, adding he would arrive “by air, land or sea!”
He also insisted the presidential vote – which analysts say he is a shoo-in to win – would go ahead as planned. Presidential elections were not due until December, but the Constituent Assembly, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, moved the date forward.
“In Venezuela, Venezuelans are in charge, not the Lima Group, not Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, not (Colombian president) Juan Manuel Santos,” Maduro said.
He said some of the governments in the Lima Group were “the most unpopular governments on the planet,” referring in particular to those of Colombia and Peru.
Venezuela received the support of its key ally Cuba, which lashed out at Peru for disinvitingMaduro,andstronglycondemned the Lima Group for “unacceptable meddling in the internal affairs of Venezuela.”