Søreide on Venezuela: – The situation is only getting worse

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide (Conservatives). Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide (H) is increasingly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Venezuela. She continues the dialogue with the parties in the conflict.

“There is only one political solution to this situation, and the humanitarian situation is getting only worse. The government in Venezuela must take responsibility for that,” says Eriksen Søreide to NTB.

The Foreign Minister is in Chile in connection with the Norwegian state visit, and on Wednesday Venezuela was one of the topics in the talks with Chile’s Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero.

On the way to Chile, Eriksen Søreide also went to Colombia and had political conversations there.

“All countries in Latin America are involved in different ways. Either as a neighboring country, like Colombia, which welcomes large numbers of refugees and migrants across the border. Or because that country in the region sees it as a very important issue for regional stability,” says the Foreign Minister.

Norway is currently maintaining dialogue with both parties in the conflict in Venezuela, hoping to contribute to a political solution.

“I think there is considerable concern in many places now, partly for what we saw a few days ago when Russian military arrived in Venezuela. The question is what it might mean for the use of this conflict as part of a power-management policy.”

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today