Freeland steps up diplomatic pressure on Venezuela, warns of refugee crisis
TORONTO — Canada is concerned that the political and economic turmoil in Venezuela will spark a refugee crisis for the South American country and its neighbours, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
Freeland said that she and Peru’s foreign minister would take that message to the United Nations in New York City on Monday, following her appearance at a business conference in Toronto.
Canada and Peru co-chaired a meeting of ministers from the Lima Group of countries last week in Toronto. Freeland and Peru’s foreign minister Ricardo Luna were delegated to meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Apart from Canada, the group’s 12 members are in Latin America.