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US using Lima Group to undermine Venezuela sovereignty: Journalist

Saturday, 05 January 2019 8:33 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 05 January 2019 10:22 AM ]

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Latin American nations and members of the Lima Group meet to discuss about Venezuela's situation and the inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro's second term, in Lima, Peru January 4, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

The United States is using the Lima Group as a regional arm of the American establishment in order to put pressure on the anti-capitalist Venezuelan government, says a commentator.

Foreign ministers from the 14-member Lima Group said they will not recognize Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s president when he takes office for a new six-year term on January 10.

In an interview with Press TV, Ramiro S. Funez, journalist and human rights activist, said that “the Lima Group should be renamed the Washington group,” because all of the countries that compose the Lima Group “take direct orders” from the Washington establishment.

“They are carrying out the orders of the United States in Latin America and the Caribbean, because [Venezuelan President] Nicolas Maduro presents a threat to US hegemony in the region by trading with countries like China, Russia and Iran, and having friendly relations with countries around the world, and the United States is very fearful that Maduro and other progressive governments in Latin America are becoming stronger and this is just another attempt to undermine the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people who elected Maduro openly, fairly and democratically,” Funez said.