THE Lima Group appears dead in the water after Peru officially recognised the democratically elected government of Venezuela led by President Nicolas Maduro.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Oscar Maurtua de Romana welcomed the Bolivarian nation’s new ambassador Alexander Yanez Deleuze at a ceremony in the capital late on Tuesday.

He replaces Carlos Scull, who had been appointed by Venezuelan usurper Juan Guaido, previously recognised by Peru as the country’s legitimate leader.

The move brought an end to “diplomatic estrangement” between the two nations that started under former president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski four years ago.

“Both authorities expressed their interest in working for the friendship and integration of both peoples,” the Peruvian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Peru’s action is another hammer blow to the Lima Group, a consortium initially consisting of 12 nations that was established in the Peruvian capital in 2017 with the aim of overthrowing Mr Maduro and his government.

The group, which enjoys the support of the European Union and the Washington-based Organisation of American States, recognised Mr Guaido’s claim to be Venezuela’s rightful leader.

But Argentina withdrew from the organisation in March this year over the participation of Mr Guaido, while Peruvian President Pedro Castillo vowed in August to “deactivate” the group.

Peru’s foreign minister described joining the Lima Group as “the most disastrous thing the country has done in international politics.”

Also in March, Saint Lucia’s External Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste that said the country was restoring relations with Venezuela.

“With immediate effect, we are going to get out of the Lima Group arrangement — that morally bankrupt mongoose gang,” he said.

Mexico and Bolivia have also withdrawn from the group and Peru’s official welcoming of the Maduro-appointed diplomat leaves it in tatters.

Since the group’s formation, Honduras and Chile have both elected left-wing leaders and it is likely that Brazil will follow suit in 2022.