On the occasion of the official visit by the President of the Republic of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, Argentina and Chile:
Reaffirmed their commitment to continue working for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela, and, for such purpose, they called for free and fair presidential elections, in which leaders of opposition political parties can participate and in the presence of international observers, as well as the release of all political prisoners and the end to the systematic violations of human rights in Venezuela; Ratified that failure to comply with these conditions will result in elections lacking legitimacy and credibility;
Agreed to continue pursuing actions and initiatives at different multilateral fora, especially at the OAS, in order to contribute to the restoration of democracy and institutions and the implementation of a humanitarian aid channel to mitigate the serious medicine and food shortage in Venezuela;
Expressed their deep concern over the increasing displacement of Venezuelan citizens that have been forced to leave their country as a result of this crisis, and called on the relevant international organizations to promptly prepare a programme on support and capacity-building for the countries of the region to be able to address the different needs arising from such displacement, including security needs; and
Finally, pledged to maintain the facilities for the settlement of Venezuelan citizens that have been forced to leave their country and are coming to Argentina and Chile.
Press Release No. 172/18