Bolivia supports dialogue to solve Venezuelan crisis

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales on Tuesday thanked members of the Lima Group for supporting solution of the crisis in Venezuela through dialogue instead of military intervention.

The Lima Group is a bloc comprising 14 Latin American nations focused on finding a resolution to Venezuela's long-standing crisis.

“Peace is the only way for our people,” Morales tweeted.

He requested the group "to seek a solution through dialogue as an option to save lives and prevent war from bringing destruction to our Latin America."

On Sunday, Venezuela’s self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaido met U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at a Lima Group meeting in Bogota, Colombia.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10, when President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions escalated when Guaido, who heads Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, a move which was supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.

Turkey, Russia, Iran, Cuba, China, and Bolivia put their weight behind Maduro, who has vowed to cut all diplomatic and political ties with the U.S.