MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela (AP) — Crisis-hit Venezuela's economic and political problems are keeping world leaders away from a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement that was supposed to hit its full stride on Saturday.

Only eight heads of state have confirmed their presence for the two days of meetings taking place on the Caribbean island of Margarita, including the leaders of Iran, Cuba and Zimbabwe. More than 30 heads of state attended the last summit of the Cold War-era group in Iran in 2012.

President Nicolas Maduro had been touting the meeting as an opportunity to solidify his international credentials.

Youth jump on a trampoline set up on the beach at a pro-government camp in Porlamar on Margarita Island, Venezuela, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. Hundreds of teenage activists are sleeping in tents and enjoying free concerts on the beach as foreign delegates arrive to attend the non-aligned summit held by a Cold War-era group of 120 nations. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

But the low turnout after months of shuttle diplomacy handing out invitations is likely to embolden Maduro's opponents, who are pushing for a recall referendum to remove him from office before his term ends in 2019.

A statue of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez is unveiled during the 17th Non Aligned Summit, a meeting held by a Cold War-era group of 120 nations, in Porlamar on Margarita Island, Venezuela, Friday, Sept 16, 2016. The statue is made of bronze and measures just over three meters. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A couple sit in a tent at a camp set up by government supporters in Porlamar, Margarita Island, Venezuela, Friday, Sept 16, 2016. Hundreds of activists are sleeping in tents and enjoying free concerts on the beach as foreign delegates arrive to attend the non-aligned summit held by a Cold War-era group of 120 nations. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) </s> MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela (AP) — Crisis-hit Venezuela’s economic and political problems are keeping world leaders away from a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement that was supposed to hit its full stride on Saturday.

Only eight heads of state have confirmed their presence for the two days of meetings taking place on the Caribbean island of Margarita, including the leaders of Iran, Cuba and Zimbabwe. More than 30 heads of state attended the last summit of the Cold War-era group in Iran in 2012.

President Nicolas Maduro had been touting the meeting as an opportunity to solidify his international credentials.

But the low turnout after months of shuttle diplomacy handing out invitations is likely to embolden Maduro’s opponents, who are pushing for a recall referendum to remove him from office before his term ends in 2019. </s> Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has touted the 17th meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement as one that would "be remembered for centuries," as the unpopular leftist seeks to bolster his international legitimacy.

Yet the turnout from the 120-nation Cold War-era bloc has paled compared to past meetings, including the previous summit in Iran in 2012, attended by some 35 heads of state.

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Iran's Hassan Rouhani and Palestine's Mahmoud Abbas, as well as regional allies from Cuba, Ecuador and Bolivia are among the few heads of states who have landed on the Caribbean island of Margarita.

The half-century old movement formed by nations wanting to avoid aligning with the United States or Soviet Union has dwindled in relevance over the years.

But it appears that heads of states' attendance at the summit in recession-stricken Venezuela is particularly low, possibly even in single digits, although the government did not respond to a request for a list of attendees.

Venezuela's opposition, vying to remove Maduro in a recall referendum, has jumped on low attendance as a sign of his isolation.

"Millions of dollars of Venezuelans' money spent for the government's ego," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles. "Many of the countries didn't come to the show!"

In one glaring absence, co-founder and key member India did not send Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only the second time the country's head of state has missed a summit since its 1961 founding.

Venezuela is undergoing a major economic crisis that has sparked worsening food shortages and triple-digit inflation.

Margarita was once known as the 'Pearl of the Caribbean,' a tourist hub that drew visitors from around the world, but hotel occupancy is under half what it was last year and some islanders recently humiliated Maduro by chasing him in a poor neighborhood, banging pots and pans.

The delegates who did come complained privately of a lack of organization, delays and shabby hotels, despite Venezuela's efforts to make Margarita shine by repainting roads, stocking supermarket shelves and boosting security on the crime-ridden island. [L2N1BR1XV]]

Venezuela unveiled a statue of Chavez near the summit on Friday, took over the group's presidency on Saturday, and the summit's final document was set to express solidarity with Maduro.

"The Venezuelan people are full of emotion and pride," Maduro said in a speech on Saturday. </s> Venezuela summit draws few leaders in blow to Maduro

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Only a handful of leaders have traveled to a meeting of a large Cold War-era bloc in Venezuela this week, in an embarrassment for the crisis-hit socialist government.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has touted the 17th meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement as one that would "be remembered for centuries," as the unpopular leftist seeks to bolster his international legitimacy.

Yet turnout has paled compared to past meetings, including the previous summit in Iran in 2012, attended by some 35 heads of state.

The half-century old movement formed by nations wanting to avoid aligning with the United States or Soviet Union has dwindled in relevance over the years.

But it appears that heads of states' attendance at the summit in recession-stricken Venezuela is particularly low, perhaps even in single figures, although the government did not respond to a request for a list of attendees.

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Iran's Hassan Rouhani and Palestine's Mahmoud Abbas, as well as regional allies from Cuba, Ecuador and Bolivia are among the few heads of states who have landed on the Caribbean island.

Venezuela's opposition, vying to remove Maduro in a recall referendum, has jumped on low attendance as a sign of his isolation.

"Millions of dollars of Venezuelans' money spent for the government's ego," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles. "Many of the countries didn't come to the show!"

In one glaring absence, co-founder and key member India did not send Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only the second time the country's head of state has missed a summit since its 1961 founding.

Venezuela is undergoing a major economic crisis that has sparked worsening food shortages and triple-digit inflation.

Margarita was once known as the 'Pearl of the Caribbean,' a tourist hub that drew visitors from around the world, but hotel occupancy is under half what it was last year and some islanders recently humiliated Maduro by chasing him in a poor neighborhood, banging pots and pans.

The delegates who did come complained privately of a lack of organization, delays and shabby hotels, despite Venezuela's efforts to make Margarita shine by repainting roads, stocking supermarket shelves and boosting security on the crime-ridden island. ]

Venezuela will take over the group's presidency on Saturday, with Maduro due to speak before formal adoption of the summit's final document. A draft seen by Reuters showed it would express solidarity with Maduro.

"In the face of these critics who say Venezuela is isolated, has no cachet, well, here are international leaders," said Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez. (Additional reporting by Diego Ore; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer and Nick Zieminski) </s> Only a handful of leaders have travelled to a meeting of a large Cold War-era bloc in Venezuela in an embarrassment for the crisis-hit socialist government.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has touted the 17th meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement as one that would "be remembered for centuries", as the unpopular leftist seeks to bolster his international legitimacy.

Yet the turnout from the 120-nation Cold War-era bloc has paled compared with past meetings, including the previous summit in Iran in 2012, attended by some 35 heads of state.

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Iran's Hassan Rouhani and Palestine's Mahmoud Abbas, as well as regional allies from Cuba, Ecuador and Bolivia are among the few heads of states who have landed on the Caribbean island of Margarita.

Study says Venezuelans world's most miserable

The half-century old movement formed by nations wanting to avoid aligning with the United States or Soviet Union has dwindled in relevance over the years.

But it appears that heads of states' attendance at the summit in recession-stricken Venezuela is particularly low, possibly even in single digits, although the government did not respond to a request for a list of attendees.

Venezuela's opposition, vying to remove Maduro in a recall referendum, has jumped on low attendance as a sign of his isolation.

"Millions of dollars of Venezuelans' money spent for the government's ego," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles. "Many of the countries didn't come to the show!"

In one glaring absence, cofounder and key member India did not send Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only the second time the country's head of state has missed a summit since its 1961 founding.

Al Jazeera's John Holman, reporting from Isla Margarita, said topics discussed on Saturday included the plight of the Palestinians, Cuba's raprochement with the United States, and Maduro's political woes.

Venezuela is undergoing a major economic crisis that has sparked worsening food shortages and triple-digit inflation.

"President Maduro is having a bit of a hard time at the moment. The Venezuelan economy is pretty near in ruins. He's dealing with security problems. So he sees this as a splash on the international stage as the domestic stuff isn't going so well," Holman said.

Venezuela: Anti-Maduro protesters flood Caracas

Margarita was once known as the "Pearl of the Caribbean", a tourist haven that drew visitors from around the world, but hotel occupancy is under half what it was last year and some islanders recently humiliated Maduro by chasing him in a poor neighbourhood, banging pots and pans.

The delegates who did come complained privately of a lack of organisation, delays and shabby hotels, despite Venezuela's efforts to make Margarita shine by repainting roads, stocking supermarket shelves and boosting security on the crime-ridden island.

Venezuela unveiled a statue of Chavez near the summit on Friday, took over the group's presidency on Saturday, and the summit's final document was set to express solidarity with Maduro.

"The Venezuelan people are full of emotion and pride," Maduro said in a speech on Saturday. </s> Maduro revels in support from Zimbabwe, Iran as critics decry failed summit

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reveled in support from leftist allies during a summit of a Cold War-era bloc that wrapped up on Sunday, but critics pilloried him for hosting unpopular leaders such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and for failing to draw many world leaders.

It appears only around a dozen heads of state from the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement made it to the meeting held on the Caribbean island of Margarita, just off Venezuela's coast, in a blow for a government keen to bolster its international legitimacy.

Authorities did not supply a list of attendees. Maduro, hit by low popularity amid a deep economic crisis, hailed the meeting as a triumph.

"This summit, we can say, has been a total success, a victory of Bolivarian diplomacy," Maduro told a news conference minutes after closing the six-day event, referring to Simon Bolivar, Latin American independence hero and idol of the socialist revolution in Venezuela.

The movement was formed in 1961 by nations wanting to avoid aligning with the United States or Soviet Union though has dwindled in relevance over the years.

The most high-profile heads of states in attendance at Margarita were Mugabe, Cuba's Raul Castro, and Iran's Hassan Rouhani, who passed on the presidency of the group to Venezuela on Saturday.

Venezuelan authorities promoted the hashtag #TheWorldWithVenezuela on state broadcasts in a bid to show a domestic audience that Caracas had international support, as Venezuela suffers a severe economic crisis with shortages of basic goods, many complaining of hunger and a high murder rate.

The opposition decried spending state funds on a lavish summit during the crisis and many expressed outrage that Mugabe - called a dictator by rights groups - was welcomed with open arms.

"This so-called summit  is a devastating failure," read a statement from Venezuela's opposition coalition. "It ratifies (Maduro's) international isolation, his diplomatic ineptitude and the world's rejection of a regime that is a global symbol of corruption and incompetence."

Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Ja'afari, used the forum to denounce U.S.-led air strikes he said had killed 83 Syrian soldiers, saying they were aimed at sinking a fragile U.S.-Russia ceasefire plan.

Others leaders lambasted imperialism and pledged their support to Maduro.

Many also called for a reform of the United Nations.

Delegates complained privately of a lack of organization, delays and shabby hotels, despite Venezuela's efforts to make Margarita shine by repainting roads, stocking supermarket shelves and boosting security. (Writing by Girish Gupta; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer) </s> Venezuela to use Non-Aligned summit to push oil consensus

CARACAS, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Venezuela will use this weekend's Non-Aligned Summit to meet fellow oil producers and gather support for a global deal to strengthen oil prices at a gathering in Algeria this month, Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino said.

"Obviously we are going to use this meeting to build consensus," Del Pino told reporters, saying leaders from OPEC nations from the Gulf to Ecuador would be present at the 120-nation bloc's meeting on Margarita island.

"The focus for the consensus is Algeria, where we hope to reach important stabilization accords to obtain a fair price for hydrocarbons that all producer countries are seeking," he said in comments at a pro-government march carried on state television.

Algeria is hosting meetings of the International Energy Forum and OPEC on Sept. 26-28.

Price hawk Venezuela, which has the largest oil reserves in the world, has been one of the worst-hit countries by the fall in crude prices, which has left its economy is in crisis.

Del Pino said he had visited Margarita and seen that opposition hopes the Non-Aligned Movement summit would be a failure, making President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government look weak and isolated, were being dashed.

"It's another failure for the opposition, who were trying to present a non-existing image of the country, aided by unpatriotic international media trying to create a view of Venezuela like they did in Libya, in Iraq," he said.

"And we know what happened there."

Despite the government's upbeat projection of the summit, only one head of state - Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe - had arrived by midday Friday for the leaders' meetings scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was expected to fly into Margarita, along with Latin American leftist leaders from Bolivia and Ecuador, but overall turnout could be a record low for the Cold War-era group. (Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Billl Trott) </s> Image copyright Reuters Image caption President Maduro, seen here on his TV programme, welcomed delegates more than 100 countries while his region's trading bloc threatened to suspend Venezuela

The South American trading bloc Mercosur has threatened to suspend Venezuela if it does not comply with a series of trade and human rights rules.

Paraguay's foreign minister said demands included protecting human rights and enacting a law guaranteeing free movement of Mercosur citizens.

The group set a deadline of 1 December.

The four original Mercosur members - Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay - blocked Venezuela from assuming the rotating presidency in June.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Delcy Rodriguez, tweeted that the country rejected the announcement and that the other countries were trying to destroy Mercosur.

She said the bloc was supposed to make decisions by consensus.

Meanwhile Venezuela is hosting more than 100 nations at a meeting of "non-aligned" countries - those who did not back either the US or the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

President Nicolas Maduro said on his TV programme on Tuesday that the start of the summit would "stay in the annals of Venezuelan diplomacy for centuries to come".

Venezuela will take on the rotating presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement, which has been held by Iran since 2012. </s> MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2019) The ministers of foreign affairs of the Lima Group will hold the 15th meeting in the Argentinean capital on July 23.

The meeting will be focus on the situation in Venezuela and will be attended by representatives of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Peru, Canada, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Saint Lucia, as well as observers from Ecuador and, for the first time, El Salvador.

Colombia is expected to propose additional sanctions against Venezuela, as announced by Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo last week.

The Lima Group was created in 2017 to attempt settling the crisis in Venezuela. The group includes Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Saint Lucia. Most member states back opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido, who is opposed by the incumbent president, Nicolas Maduro.
Around ten heads of state attend the 17th Non-aligned Movement summit in Isla Margarita, Venezuela, including Evo Morales of Bolivia, Raúl Castro of Cuba, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, and Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro.