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Tuesday 29 January 2019

Venezuela: Guaido's Government Will Work to Restore Diplomatic Relations with Morocco

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Venezuela: Guaido's Government Will Work to Restore Diplomatic Relations with Morocco

The Venezuelan government, led by interim President Juan Guaido, will work to restore diplomatic relations with Morocco, which were suspended under the regime of Nicolas Maduro, said Monday in Caracas Manuel Avendano, Foreign Affairs Consultant to the Venezuelan National Assembly (Parliament), the only body controlled by the opposition.

"We want to restore our relations with the Kingdom of Morocco," Avendano told MAP, saying that the willingness to "restore and deepen" relations between Caracas and Rabat is driven by the common denominators as well as cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries in the past.

"The position of Nicolas Maduro’s regime regarding the Kingdom of Morocco did not benefit the two countries. There have been actions and rhetoric that have separated the two countries," said the expert, who holds an MBA from CEU San Pablo University in Spain.

"This will change with Guaido’s government," he pointed out, noting that his country wants to turn the page of twenty years of "Chavism" and "Madurism" to adopt its own positions on diplomatic issues.

Avendano underlined the importance of restoring relations with Morocco because "we had cultural and economic exchanges that we want to increase," adding that the government led by the President of the National Assembly wishes to have “open” and “broad” relations with the Kingdom.

"Our prime objective is to re-establish relations with Morocco," he insisted, underlining that Guaido's government seeks to further develop these relations to serve the interests of both countries.
With regard to the Moroccan Sahara issue, Avendano, who is a member of Guaido’s party, Voluntad Popular, said that Guaido’s government will support the political process led by the United Nations with a view to reaching a peaceful and mutually acceptable solution to this regional dispute.

"On the issue of the Sahara, we want to support the settlement process of this regional dispute within the framework of the United Nations," he said, while underlining the importance of reaching "a peaceful and acceptable solution to this conflict."

Commenting on the current situation in his country, Avendano noted that Guaido has been recognized as a legitimate interim president by a large part of the international community, unlike Maduro, “who is trying to usurp power.”

"At the diplomatic level, we are seeking more support, but unlike the Maduro regime, we are doing so in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution," he pointed out.

International recognition is important to promote the return of democracy to Venezuela, said the expert in international relations, adding that Guaido’s government wants "to gain recognition from the Kingdom of Morocco."

"Venezuelans want to rebuild their country," he said, adding that "we have had a 20-year nightmare, Chavism is a lie."

"Venezuela wants to open up to all countries in the world and restore the constitutional system and law," he concluded.

MAP 29 January 2019