Regional bloc, sans Mexico, urges Venezuela's Maduro not to take office

LIMA (Reuters) - Mexico declined to join its regional peers on Friday in urging Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro not to take office this month, the first time it has not signed a declaration by the Lima Group bloc created to pressure Caracas to make democratic reforms.

The remaining 13 members of the Lima Group, which include Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Peru, said they would not recognise Maduro's new term because last year's election was "illegitimate," according to the joint statement they signed.

(Reporting by Mitra Taj and Reuters TV; Editing by Richard Chang)