PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Aug 5, CMC – The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dennis Francis, has left open the possibility of the international body playing a role in diffusing the situation in Venezuela where the President Nicolas Maduro has been declared winner of the presidential election late last month.
The opposition parties have accused Maduro of stealing the July 28 poll and have also disputed the figures so far released by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The opposition parties are being supported by the United States and several western countries, while Muduro has received congratulations from China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bolivia and some Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries.
Francis, who is also the Trinidad and Tobago ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters on his arrival here for a four day visit, that in diplomacy there is always hope.
“That is what diplomacy is. Dialogue. When people sit down and talk you can never predict a priori (from beforehand) where the discussion will go,” said Francis, who will be replaced as UNGA president by Philemon Yang of Cameroon, who becomes the 79th UNGA president in six weeks time.
(Details in Politics section)
CMC/2024