SANTIAGO – President Sebastián Piñera said Wednesday that the South American country recognizes and supports Juan Guaidó as President in charge of Venezuela.
Chile will support the leader of the National Assembly in its work to “move towards the recovery of democracy,” Piñera said, noting that Chile does not recognize the legitimacy of the 2018 elections.
“We want to express our total support in its important and important mission to be able to advance toward the recovery of democracy, the rule of law and the freedoms of a sister country like Venezuela,” said the President, accompanied by Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero.
Chile reconoce a @jguaido como Pdte encargado de Venezuela, y manifestamos total apoyo en su misión de recuperar la democracia, Estado de Derecho y DD.HH. Maduro es parte del problema y no de la solución, y la única salida pacífica a la crisis de Venezuela son elecciones libres.
— Sebastian Piñera (@sebastianpinera) January 23, 2019
Acabo de hablar con @jguaido, Presidente encargado de Venezuela por designación de la Asamblea Nacional. Le expresé toda nuestra solidaridad y apoyo en la noble, justa y hermosa causa de recuperar la libertad, democracia y respeto a los DD.HH. en Venezuela.
— Sebastian Piñera (@sebastianpinera) January 24, 2019
The comment came after Guaido swore himself in as interim president amid mass protests against the administration of Nicolas Maduro. The United States and a number of Latin American countries have backed Guaido as interim president.
Piñera noted that the Government of Chile, together with the Lima Group, especially Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Canada and other countries such as the United States and France, Juan Guaidó has been recognized as President in charge.
— Sebastian Piñera (@sebastianpinera) January 23, 2019
The president said that a peaceful solution to the crisis that Venezuela is experiencing are clean, free, democratic and transparent elections.
“The solution to Venezuela’s problems is to recover the true democratic values and that happens by freeing political prisoners, re-establishing and respecting the freedoms and human rights of all Venezuelans,” said Piñera.
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