Lavrov:

US Threats to Venezuelan Military Violate UN Charter

TEHRAN (defapress)- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Washington's threats to Venezuela's military violated the United Nations Charter, and are representative of direct interference in the state's internal affairs.

News ID: 75750

Date: 21 February 2019 - 19:51

He also stated that Moscow grew worried about developments in Venezuela following US President Donald Trump's recent statement urging the Venezuelan military to accept opposition leader Juan Guaido's offer of amnesty, Sputnik reported.

"We are concerned about what is happening around Venezuela. The threats heard from the US, which are actively supported and stimulated by the Venezuelan opposition, which in fact directly invites external intervention, are certainly a violation of the UN Charter and direct interference in the internal affairs of an independent country," Lavrov said during a press conference following talks with his Zambian counterpart Joseph Malanji.

Lavrov's remarks come after Trump said on Monday in a speech to Venezuelan Americans in Miami that the military of the Latin American country could either accept Guaido's amnesty offer or "lose everything" as there would otherwise be no way out for them.

Guaido, who declared himself the country's interim president, has called on the Venezuelan Armed Forces, supporting President Nicolas Maduro, to change sides, giving the military seven days to do so, in the anticipation of humanitarian aid arrivals to the crisis-hit country.

Venezuela has long been facing political turmoil and the situation deteriorated in January, when Guaido declared himself interim president, disputing Maduro's re-election last year. While the United States has openly backed Guaido, the European Union did not issue a joint statement following suit because the motion was vetoed by Italy, according to a diplomatic source. However, many European countries have individually voiced their support for the Venezuelan opposition leader.

Russia, China, Mexico, among other nations, voiced support for Maduro, who, in turn, accused Washington of orchestrating an attempted coup.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Tuesday that Trump’s call upon Venezuela’s military to support the Juan Guaido-led opposition should be regarded as blackmail.

"Blackmail as a means of returning ‘democracy’ to the Venezuelan people," Zakharova said on her Facebook page in a comment on Trump’s statement.

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