Venezuela: Annan urges peaceful approach to political crisis

Reacting to the increasingly polarized political situation in Venezuela, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for widespread efforts to defuse tension there.

“The Secretary-General calls urgently on the Government of Venezuela and the opposition groups to make every effort to reach a peaceful solution to this crisis, on the basis of respect for the Constitution, democratic values and human rights,” UN spokesperson Hua Jiang said in a press statement.

The Secretary-General urged all sectors of Venezuelan society to refrain from actions that could cause the situation to further deteriorate, she added.

The spokesperson also voiced Mr. Annan’s full backing for the mediation efforts of César Gaviria, the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States.