The European Union (EU), together with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), issued call today for the world to take “urgent action” in regards to the Venezuelan migrant exodus, which has to date displaced more than 10% of the country’s population.
The joint statement points out that the Venezuelan exodus is “one of the most serious in the world”, and the largest in the history of Latin America.
Federica Mogherini, the EU’s top diplomat, said that it was also important to “create consciousness about the seriousness of this crisis” in order to guarantee action.
For his part, OIM chief Antonio Vitorino called on international organizations who have so far provided support to Venezuelan migrants to “duplicate their efforts” in order to ensure that their needs are properly met.
Maduro Heading to Azerbaijan for Summit
Maduro confirmed early this afternoon that he would head to Azerbaijan in the coming hours to attend the 18th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which is scheduled to take place there October 25-26.
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of 120 nations that not formally aligned with either NATO or what was the Soviet bloc. Maduro is the current chairperson for the organization.
Maduro announced his trip by saying:
I’m heading out to the [Non-Aligned Movement] Summit in Azerbaijan. 120 countries will meet there, and Venezuela has been the president [of the organization] for three years, starting at the historic Margarita summit.
I’m going to tell 120 countries what Venezuela has been doing to advance international law, the struggle against arms races, everything that we have done at the United Nations Human Rights Council of which we are a member as a result of the world’s votes. The world chose us, as a way to acknowledge Venezuela, and beyond that, the fight for peace.
During the same address, Maduro said that the opposition was getting ready to “sabotage happiness and Christmas” in what remains in 2019, but provided no details or explanation for his claim.
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