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Venezuela: UN agency heads mission to help country overcome political crisis

Venezuela: UN agency heads mission to help country overcome political crisis

Aiming to facilitate dialogue in Venezuela and help the country overcome its current political crisis, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), along with officials from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Carter Center, met today with President Hugo Chávez and members of the opposition.

The joint mission is in Venezuela to help bring the parties closer together and support a process leading towards national reconciliation, according to UNDP, and takes place in the framework of a resolution adopted last month by the OAS Permanent Council. That decision reiterated the Organization's readiness "to provide support and help as required by the Government of Venezuela to further the process of dialogue and consolidate its democratic process."

During its visit, the group is also slated to meet with other senior government officials, representatives of the Catholic Church, civil society organizations and the media.

The trip comes after Vice President Vicente Rangel wrote to the heads of the three organizations requesting "the support needed to help bring about a negotiated mechanism of rapprochement between the Government, the various opposition groups and other sectors of national life."