MONTEVIDEO, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay and Mexico on Wednesday announced a joint plan to hold an international conference on Venezuela's political crisis, expecting to gather representatives from at least 10 countries and organizations.
In a joint statement, the two countries said the planned meeting, set on Feb. 7, aims to gather representatives of countries and international organizations with neutral position on Venezuela.
"Both governments have adopted a position of nonintervention, while at the same time expressing their concern for the human rights situation in Venezuela," they said.
"The purpose of the conference is to lay the foundations for establishing a new mechanism for dialogue which, by including all Venezuelan (political) forces, will contribute to restoring stability and peace in that country," the statement added.
Anti-government protests in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas turned violent last week amid domestic political strife and tensions between Caracas and Washington.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged all relevant actors to lower tensions and commit to dialogue to address the crisis in Venezuela.
Less than two weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn into a new term on Jan. 10, opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognized by the United States and some other countries.
