3 days ago
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Senior Reporter
As this country’s Government remains silent on the impending United States (US) naval presence in the waters off the coast of Venezuela, the Venezuelan government is pledging a peaceful approach to this developing situation.
In a statement yesterday the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela said, “While Washington threatens, Venezuela advances firmly in peace and sovereignty, demonstrating that true effectiveness against crime is achieved by respecting the independence of peoples.”
However, Venezuela argues that this perceived threat from the US jeopardises the peace and stability of the entire region.
The United States has deployed the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale to Venezuela’s coast. The vessels are reportedly carrying 4,500 US service members, including 2,200 Marines.
The Trump administration says this is part of its campaign against Latin American drug cartels. Washington accuses President Nicolás Maduro and his allies of drug trafficking through the so-called “Cartel of the Suns,” recently doubling the reward for his capture to $50 million.
In response, Maduro has mobilised over 4.5 million militia members to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty, dismissing US claims as baseless and warning that the impending American military buildup threatens regional stability.
Efforts to get a response from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers yesterday were unsuccessful.
But the Venezuelan government, in its statement, said it sees the Trump administration’s move as a desperate one.
“Washington’s accusing Venezuela of drug trafficking reveals its lack of credibility and the failure of its policies in the region,” the statement said.
Venezuela added that since the “expulsion” of the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) from its country in 2005, the country has achieved “overwhelming results” in the fight against organised crime, which includes “successful arrests, dismantling of networks, and effective control of borders and coasts, the result of the efforts and commitment of our institutions and the Venezuelan people.”
Venezuela believes the US military presence is putting the stability of the entire region at risk.
And the People’s Republic of China agrees.
Affirming its support for the Latin American nation yesterday, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “China opposes any action that contravenes the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and infringes on the sovereignty and security of other countries.”
Ning added, “We oppose any use or threat of force in international relations, and we firmly oppose interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs by external forces under any pretext.”
Ning said China is hoping the US will adopt measures that are more conducive to peace and security in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Venezuela’s government has expressed deep appreciation for this support from China. Following Ning’s statement, the Venezuelan government said, “On behalf of President Nicolás Maduro, we want to express our sincerest gratitude to the People’s Republic of China for its firm rejection of US interventionism in Venezuela and the threats of the use of force that seek to transform our region, which has been declared a Zone of Peace, into a new stage of colonial war.”
Meanwhile, an intergovernmental organisation of Latin American and Caribbean nations called ALBA, or the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America, has denounced what it describes as “renewed aggression by the US against Latin America and the Caribbean.”
ALBA is rejecting what it called the US’ “flagrant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace.”
The ALBA members include Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela.
In a written statement, ALBA said it met virtually for its 13th Extraordinary Summit and its leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, which was adopted by CELAC (Community of Latin America and Caribbean States) in 2014.
The media release said, “They declared full support for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, rejecting what they called “groundless, mythomaniacal accusations with no legal basis” used to delegitimise sovereign governments.”
ALBA also used the opportunity to condemn the US economic blockade of Cuba, calling it harmful to the well-being of its people and contrary to international law.”
The group backed a call from Colombia’s President for an urgent meeting of regional foreign ministers to establish a “joint, sovereign response to threats against Venezuela and to any interventionist actions that could destabilise the region.”
The statement added that true peace must come from social justice, respect for sovereignty and self-determination. It warned that in the face of imperialism, violence, and blockades, ALBA nations will follow the path of (Simon) Bolívar, (Jose) Martí, (Hugo) Chávez, and Fidel Castro to protect the region and ensure it remains a Zone of Peace and coexistence.
English (US) ·