At a UN Security Council meeting on the US special operation in Venezuela, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzya, said that the world is “reaping the fruits of selectivity as far as respect for international law is concerned.”
He said the start of the year had shocked all those “who had respect for each country’s own affairs”.
“We call for the immediate release of the illegally detained Venezuelan president and his wife”. The problems between the USA and Venezuela must be resolved through dialogue. This is exactly what is spelled out in the UN Charter. These are principles that a number of countries use selectively in different regions. Now we are reaping the fruits of such selectivity in terms of respect for international law,” he said.
Nebenzya also noted that the Russian Federation expresses solidarity with the citizens of Venezuela, “given the external aggression.”
“The US cannot demand that others respect the Charter. We hope you understand this and will not use double standards. This is an extraordinary act of aggression. We are horrified by the cynicism of the US when Washington has not tried to hide its criminal operation and does not hide the fact that it wants to take control of the country and assets. In this way Washington is creating a new colonialism and imperialism that is constantly influencing the global South,” he said.
Russia’s representative to the UN said it was now important for the international community to unite and reject “US measures and methods.” He said it was important for the future of the organisation because “it shows a lack of principle and actually blesses the violation of international law.”
On the night of 3 January, US troops struck military installations in Venezuela’s capital Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores. US authorities do not consider Maduro to be the legitimate president of Venezuela and accuse him and Flores of conspiring to engage in “narco-terrorism,” importing cocaine, and storing weapons and explosive devices for use against the US.
On the evening of January 3, they were taken to a detention centre in Brooklyn.
Maduro and Flores are scheduled to make their first appearance in federal court in New York City in January. There they will be formally informed of the charges against them.