CARACAS: Spain’s top diplomat for Latin America will travel next week to Venezuela amid tensions in the bilateral relationship, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said.
Jesus Gracia, secretary of state for International Cooperation and Ibero-America, “probably will be in Venezuela next week after the talks I have had on this tour and the ongoing conversations we’re having with other countries also having interests in the stabilization of Venezuela,” the minister said following a meeting with Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira.
In remarks to reporters, Garcia-Margallo said that Brazil and Spain have interests in Venezuela and “very similar” points of view and strategies.
This strategy, in Spain’s case, the minister said, is the one established by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, namely that “we want for Venezuela exactly the same thing that we have wanted and want for Spain, which is political stability and economic prosperity.”
When asked if Brazil and Spain share the same vision on Venezuela, Garcia-Margallo said that both countries have “absolutely identical approaches.”
Last Saturday in Haiti, a commission comprised of Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez and congressional speaker Diosdado Cabello met with U.S. State Department adviser Thomas Shannon.
In addition, a few days ago Garcia-Margallo held a meeting in Brussels at the European Union-Latin American summit with Venezuelan Vice President Jorge Arreaza.
Garcia-Margallo said on Tuesday in Haiti that “relations with Venezuela are being constantly maintained.”
The recent visit to Caracas by former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez to help with the legal defense of imprisoned Venezuelan opposition figures sparked new tensions between the governments of the two countries. EFE
