Peru calls on region to sever ties with Venezuela

Peru said Friday it will urge the so-called "Lima Group" of countries to cut diplomatic ties with Venezuela and issue travel bans against all top officials in President Nicolas Maduro's government. The 14-member regional group refuses to recognize Venezuela's May elections, in which Maduro won a new six-year term in a vote marred by irregularities.
"The natural consequence is to propose, as one of the actions we take, the severing of diplomatic relations with Venezuela," said Peruvian Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio. He told journalists that Peru would introduce a measure to that effect, as well as a travel ban on senior Venezuelan officials, at a December 19 meeting of the group, whose members include Canada and most of Latin America's top powers.