Russia Accuses Venezuelan Opposition of Resorting to Violence April 30, 2019
Russia Accuses Venezuelan Opposition of Resorting to Violence
The Kremlin made the allegation after Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a military uprising.
Armed factions exchanged gunfire outside a Caracas air base. TTASS/Ariana Cubillos
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday accused the opposition in Venezuela of resorting to violence in what it said was a brazen attempt to draw the country's armed forces into clashes.
The ministry made the allegation after Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a military uprising to oust President Nicolas Maduro and armed factions exchanged gunfire outside a Caracas air base as the country hit a new crisis point after years of political and economic chaos.
Russia, which has supplied weapons to Venezuela and acted as a lender of last resort, has accused the United States of trying to undermine Maduro, someone Moscow counts as one of its closest allies in Latin America.
"The radical opposition in Venezuela has once again returned to violent methods of confrontation," the foreign ministry said. "Instead of peacefully settling political differences, they have taken a course designed to whip up conflict, and provoke breaches of public order and clashes involving the armed forces."
The ministry called on the opposition to renounce violence and embrace negotiations instead, saying it was vital to avoid bloodshed.
President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Venezuela at a meeting of his Security Council earlier on Tuesday.
Russia has sent nearly 100 military personnel to Caracas, a contingent the Kremlin has described as military specialists. Russian news agencies cited the Russian embassy in Venezuela on Tuesday as saying the Russian personnel were not involved in the clashes between the opposition and the authorities.
April 19, 2019 - U.S. Calls On Countries to Deny Airspace to Russian Planes Destined for Venezuela
U.S. Calls On Countries to Deny Airspace to Russian Planes Destined for Venezuela
Igor Ivanko / Moskva News Agency
The U.S. State Department spokesperson has called on countries to “follow Malta’s example” and block Russian military planes en route for Venezuela from using their airspace.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
said that Malta refused a Russian request to use its airspace to fly military aircraft from Syria to Venezuela on April 4. Zakharova added that Malta did not provide a reason for their decision, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
“We applaud the government of Malta for refusing to allow Russian planes to use its airspace to supply the brutal former regime in Venezuela.We call on all countries to follow Malta’s example to stop the Kremlin’s support for the dictator Maduro,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus
tweeted on Friday.
Russia, which has also supplied fighter jets, tanks and air defense systems to Venezuela, has
dismissed U.S. criticism of its military cooperation with Caracas, saying it is not interfering in the Latin American country's internal affairs and poses no threat to regional stability.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously
said that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela and that "all options" are open to force Russia to end its assistance to Maduro, raising the prospect of new U.S. sanctions against Moscow.
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