The Governments of Paraguay and Venezuela agreed to reestablish their diplomatic and consular relations, broken since January 2019 in protest of the then Administration of Mario Abdo Benítez against the second term of Nicolás Maduro, and to accredit their respective ambassadors “in the coming days”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in Asunción.
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In a statement, the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry indicated that the decision was adopted after conversations between the presidents of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, and Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
“Both parties have committed to restarting bilateral relations with full respect for the fundamental principles of equal rights, self-determination of peoples, non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and solidarity; also based on the principles of integration and Latin American unity,” reads the note.
Furthermore, the Governments of Asunción and Caracas expressed their interest, “in this new stage of renewed relations”, to “advance in good coexistence” that “allows for consolidating good relations between the States and preserving the natural friendship and solidarity” between their towns.
On May 2, in his first press conference as president-elect, Peña said he was willing to restore relations with Venezuela, but clarified that this will not mean silencing the defense of human rights and the need for “clean, transparent elections.” and participatory”.
Peña, from the Colorado Party who took office on August 25, then assured that he had spoken by phone with Maduro, to whom he conveyed his desire to reestablish ties with Caracas.
A break under the Administration of Abdo Benítez
The now former president Mario Abdo Benítez (2018-2023) broke diplomatic relations with Venezuela in January 2019 and announced the closure of his embassy in Caracas, after Maduro assumed his second term in government after an electoral process that Asunción called “illegitimate.” “.
Abdo Benítez denounced on July 4, in his last participation as ruler in the semi-annual summit of the heads of state of Mercosur (a mechanism made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) held in the Argentine city of Puerto Iguazú, the “political restrictions ” that happen in Venezuela, such as the electoral disqualification of the opponent María Corina Machado.
The then president – who also made his criticisms against Maduro heard in forums such as the United Nations General Assembly – said that he followed “with great concern” the “events of the latest events in Venezuela” in reference to Machado, who was disqualified from compete for elected office for 15 years.
Machado swept the opposition primaries in Venezuela on October 22.
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