By Melanius Alphonse
Caribbean News Now associate managing editor
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, USA — China, in a show of support of President Nicolás Maduro as head of state, has refused to grant Juan Guaidó a diplomatic visa to China. The move comes ahead of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) annual meetings that will no longer convene in China and the resignation of Lalu Hanuman, IDB ConSoc committee chairperson and ordinary member in Barbados. These events have all unfolded at a moment when China is pivoting geopolitical power in Venezuela.
The IDB press release on March 22, stated, “The board of executive directors of the IDB today resolved that the annual meetings of the boards of governors will not convene in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, from March 28 to 31, 2019. The board also resolved that management will present its recommendations for the location and date of the 2019 annual meetings of the IDB within a period of 30 days.”
Chinese foreign ministry representative Geng Shuang, speaking at a press briefing, told reporters that “China deeply regrets that the IDB decided to call off its annual meeting in Chengdu. The vast majority of the IDB membership agree with China’s view that the annual meeting should focus on financial cooperation and not be disrupted by contentious political issues,” alluding to Venezuela.
