Venezuelan solution to Venezuelan crisis

OPINION

By Ambassador H.E. Alexander Polyakov

The current political crisis in Venezuela attracts the attention of everyone who is not indifferent to the fate of the country and its people and can foresee possible consequences of this situation.

Beyond the scope of the propagandistic clichés spread by the so‑called "mainstream" media, there is an obvious and an aggressive attempt to dictate to the people of Venezuela how they should solve their own problems.

From the very beginning, when the US recognised Juan Guaido as an acting president of Venezuela, they took a wide range of measures aimed at rocking the boat in the country and changing its political orientation and social structure at all costs.

Despite the fact that current president Nicolas Maduro was elected by a two‑thirds majority, Trump administration tried to form an international alliance to overthrow legitimate leader and support "a true" one.

In order to fulfil this plan, Washington has been constantly calling Venezuelans and, especially the police and army officers for disobedience and unrest to provoke a civil war.

At the same time, the US has imposed a wide range of tough exterritorial sanctions against Caracas leading to total impoverishment of the country`s population and threatening its very statehood.

There are some undeniable facts to get the full picture:

The US attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to the country worth $20m, and blocked the accounts of the Venezuelan state companies worth $11b, assets of the National Oil Company worth at least $7b in the American banks as well as Venezuelan gold assets in the UK worth $1,2b. It is like robbing someone of $20b to give back $20m as "alms".

It is obvious that the Venezuelan society is deeply divided and the country is currently passing through a serious crisis.

However, millions of disadvantaged people, who regained their hope and dignity during the Bolivarian Revolution, see that a potential "velvet revolution" imposed by the US can only lead to the restoration of social inequality regime.

Therefore, no wonder that Washington's warlike language and calls for a military intervention have a reverse effect.

It is becoming clear by the day that hopes of Trump administration to remove Nicolas Maduro from power by organising mass street protests or turning army and police against him are falling apart.

Meanwhile, the international community should give a hand to Venezuelans to break a deadlock threatening to collapse the country.

Some Latin American states, including Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua and Uruguay, as well as China and Russia - the UN Security Council Permanent Members - are calling for such support.

Several African countries share their views because they are clearly aware of what neocolonialism is and associate themselves with Venezuela, given Washington`s notorious experiments of "geopolitical engineering".

However, their voices could become louder and more decisive, while their number would increase.

In this case there will be a better chance they would be heard and nothing fatal would happen.

The Russian Federation strongly believes that any intervention attempts and, especially threats of using force against Caracas, are intolerable and could only aggravate the situation.

International community should respect state sovereignty and not interfere in internal affairs as it is stated in the UN Chapter.

Only Venezuelans themselves could resolve the current crisis in their country.

The writer is the Russian Ambassador to Uganda