Imperialist intervention in Venezuela: UPDATE 14

venezuela1

  • China warns against military intervention in Venezuela
  • US envoy Abrams heading to Colombia
  • Russia’s solidarity with Venezuela
  • Guaido and three busload of his supporter-lawmaker move towards Colombia border
  • Venezuela closes border with Brazil, may do the same at Colombia border
  • Ortega warns U.S. against war on Venezuela
  • Central American leftist parties express solidarity with Venezuela
  • Investigate US for war crimes in Venezuela, says Saint Vincent PM
  • Bernie Sanders refuses to recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s interim President

China and Russia are opposing military intervention in Venezuela while tension along Venezuela-Colombia border is increasing as the U.S. backed Venezuelan politician and self-appointed “interim president” of Venezuela Juan Guaido faced hurdles on his move towards Colombia border. And, Venezuelan President Maduro called for a massive popular mobilization of the Chavista forces on February 23, throughout the national territories. “Here in Caracas, we will have a super mobilization.”

Media reports said:

China warns against military intervention in Venezuela 

China has expressed warning: Beijing is opposed to military intervention in Venezuela. The so-called aid material should not be forced into Venezuela, lest it cause violence, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Speaking at a daily news conference, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that the Venezuelan government had “remained calm and exercised restraint”, effectively preventing large-scale clashes.

“If so-called aid material is forced into Venezuela, and then if it causes violence and clashes, it will have serious consequences. This is not something anyone wants to see,” Geng said.

“China opposes military intervention in Venezuela, and opposes any actions causing tensions or even unrest,” he said.

US envoy goes to Colombia

Elliott Abrams, U.S. Special Representative, is heading to Colombia as part of a mission to send the so-called aid to Venezuela amid U.S. led deepening interventionist moves in Venezuela.

The U.S. State Department says Abrams will lead a U.S. government delegation transporting “humanitarian” supplies from Florida to Colombia in military aircraft.

The delegation leaves Saturday from Homestead Air Reserve Base south of Miami.

The U.S. appointed Abrams as part of an effort to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down.

Russia’s solidarity with Venezuela

Sergei Ryabkov, Russian deputy foreign minister, has met with his Venezuelan counterpart.

Ryabkov and Ivan Gil met Thursday in Moscow in a session that the Russian Foreign Ministry said was held in a constructive atmosphere.

“The Russian side expressed solidarity with the friendly people of Venezuela, firm support for the policy of its government aimed at preventing destabilization in the country and supported the idea of holding a national dialogue to overcome the differences in Venezuelan society,” the ministry said in a statement.

3 buses with lawmakers supporting intervention

On February 21, Guaido issued a presidential decree to authorize the entry of “humanitarian aid” (humaid) into Venezuela and the opening of all the country’s frontiers.

Traditional aid groups have shunned the effort, saying basic human needs should not be tied to politics.

Three buses carrying lawmakers sympathetic to Guaido left Caracas heading for the town on the Colombian border that is the focus of the aid effort, but were stopped in Carabobo state. Guaido, travelling separately for security reasons, was held up by army trucks blocking a tunnel east of the capital, said Edward Rodriguez, a spokesperson.

Venezuela closes border with Brazil, may do the same at Colombia border

Starting Thursday evening, Venezuela began closing its border with Brazil, President Nicolas Maduro has announced. He added the same measure might apply to the border with Colombia, though he does not want to order it.

Maduro was having a meeting with the Superior General Staff of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB).

The Venezuelan military was ordered to enforce the travel ban in airspace and on the sea until further notice, Maduro said during a televised address from a military headquarters.

Speaking about possible cut of border travel with Colombia, Maduro said he did not want to take such a decision but was considering it.

Maduro’s government is suspicious of the US stated plan to provide humaid to Venezuelan opposition. US envoy Abrams has a record of using “humanitarian” convoys to smuggle arms to Latin American countries targeted for regime change by Washington, and Caracas says he is now trying to follow the same script in Venezuela.

Both Brazil and Colombia serve as transit counties for Venezuela-bound American shipments.

Venezuela had already suspended flights and some land borders with Colombia.

President Maduro also said that his Colombian counterpart Iván Duque would be responsible for any violence that occurs along the common border. “I hold Ivan Duque responsible for any violence that occurs on the border with Colombia,” the Venezuelan leader said.

Ortega warns U.S. against war on Venezuela

The Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has called for peace in Latin America and warned the U.S. against a war on Venezuela.

Ortega was speaking during an official act commemorating the 85th anniversary of the death of Augusto C. Sandino, the nation’s national Hero.

“We salute Venezuela that clearly fights for peace, in a commitment that has its foundations in the spirit and conviction of our Latin American and Caribbean peoples, and so we ratify it on the 85th anniversary of [Sandino] our ‘general of free men’,” said Ortega during the ceremony.

According to the Nicaraguan president, Latin America has spoken up against war and against intervention on its territory and called for a peaceful solution in Venezuela.

“Beyond their political positions, countries have said that they are not in favor of intervention or war. There are some agreements that have to be worked on and initiatives to be developed to find a solution through peaceful means in Venezuela.”

Central American leftist movements express solidarity

Central American leftist movements issued a proclamation expressing solidarity with the people of Venezuela.

Central American left-wing parties have been meeting in Managua, Nicaragua’s capital, for the last three days. These parties were also part of the commemorations of Sandino’s anniversary.

These leftist movements issued a proclamation “in defense of the principles of independence, sovereignty and self-determination, in solidarity with our brother people and the constitutional and legitimate government of our fellow President, Nicolas Maduro.”

During the meeting, the left-wing parties highlighted that the Venezuelan Bolivarian process, that has backed important revolutionary social transformations in Latin America, is under an “interventionist siege of U.S. imperialism,” which is threatening a military invasion that would end peace in the region.

“Given the dangerous situation to which the irrational onslaught of the enemies of humanity has led us, we appeal to the political forces and social movements of the world that oppose imperialist hegemony to […] mobilize by appealing to mechanisms of struggle aimed at stopping the war that threaten our peoples with genocide, destruction and looting “, said the proclamation.

Next, Nicaragua, warns Bolton

John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated, on Wednesday, through his official Twitter account that the government of Nicaragua, headed by Daniel Ortega “has its days numbered.”

Several White House officials have been attacking Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua for years and their offensive has been intensified lately. U.S. President Trump has stated on several occasions that military intervention is “on the table,” against these countries, especially against Venezuela.

Investigate US for war crimes in Venezuela: Saint Vincent PM

Dr. The Honorable Ralph Everard Gonsalves, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, spoke out against the U.S. sanctions and the interventionist efforts in Venezuela.

Gonsalves called a local radio station after a journalist from the country reported on-the-ground realities from Venezuela’s capital Caracas.

Journalists from six Caribbean countries including Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, Antigua, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad visited Venezuela to give a ground-level report about the current situation in the Bolivarian Republic.

After the report by a Saint Vincent journalist, the Prime Minister of the country called the radio station and commented on the situation in Venezuela.

His comments denounced the interventionist attitude of the United States in a country where free and fair elections were held.

“You know, we had a Carribean electoral mission on May the 20th, a few days before the election and then on the election day, and they declared the election to be free and fair,” said Gonsalves, adding that the people reflected their wills by electing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

He also criticized the U.S.’ insistence that Venezuelan elections were unfair, a slur, which is often used to justify the country’s constant attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the South American country.

“I just wanted to make the point that for the Venezuelan government, the money which they have in the United States, money which had been frozen amounts to 11 billion US dollars, that is the money which you can buy food and medicines with,” said the prime minister of the U.S.-sanctioned PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company.

And, then, the U.S. takes “a few hundred thousand dollars worth of food and have it by the border at Columbia and say that they want to help the people of Venezuela” despite the fact that they are “committing economic warfare against them by these sanctions which are crippling the economy,” was the opinion of Gonsalves.

He also mentioned that a United Nations special rapporteur was in Venezuela for 21 years who said that the countries forcing the sanction are putting Venezuela under siege.

“I know what they’re doing should be investigated as a possible war crime. I mean, it’s terrible what they’re doing to the country because of political or ideological reasons. This is the 21st century. We have to act differently,” concluded the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Bernie Sanders refuses to recognize Guaido

A vast number of politicians from the U.S. including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have already voiced their outright support for Guaido, nonetheless, some, like Senator Bernie Sanders, show reluctance in recognizing the opposition leader as Venezuela’s president.

In an interview with Univision’s Jorge Ramos, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has just announced that he will run for US president in the 2020 election, has refused to recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s president, having suggested that the US should ensure “free and fair” elections in the Latin American country.

Sanders’ reluctance to recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s “interim president” came shortly before Guaido issued his “presidential” decree number 001 in order to authorize the deliveries of humaid stockpiled in Colombia.

Florida Democrats are denouncing Bernie Sanders for refusing to call Maduro a “dictator” — a politically explosive issue in the biggest swing state of the U.S.

“He is not going to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. He has demonstrated again that he does not understand this situation,” Rep. Donna Shalala, a Miami Democrat who represents Venezuelan exiles, told POLITICO.

“I absolutely disagree with his imprecision in not saying Maduro must go.” Shalala has filed legislation aimed at helping Venezuelan immigrants.

The emerging issue has not yet spilled into the broader Democratic primary for president. Most candidates have not weighed in, some by choice.

Sanders said: What must not happen is that the United States must not use military force and intervene again as it has done in the past in Latin America, as you recall, whether it was Chile or Brazil or the Dominican Republic or Guatemala.

7.5 tons of medicine

President Maduro met with representatives from Russia, Cuba and the Pan American Health Organization, at Miraflores Palace, to discuss strengthening Venezuela’s health system.

Maduro announced Thursday the arrival of medical aid from Russia for the strengthening of the public health system.

“Today, 7.5 tons of medicines are coming to Venezuela from Russia to continue equipping our country,” Maduro stated, before adding that Venezuela has previously received 108,428 units of medicines, surgical equipment and other types of equipment.

Maduro said that the Bolivarian government pays the current shipments arriving in Venezuela, as will those arriving, weekly, in the future. “It is humanitarian assistance, humanitarian support because it is overcoming a blockade, but Venezuelans are not beggars from anyone and that is why we proceed to pay all our obligations,” the Bolivarian Republic’s leader reiterated.

The president denounced that there is economic and financial persecution against his country, by the U.S. government, which makes the acquisition of medicine difficult for Venezuelans.

The president highlighted the significance of the UN and international organizations for the construction of multilateral politics.

“Fortunately we have good friends in the world and we have the support of the United Nations, the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization.”

The Venezuelan Minister for Nourishment Luis Medina indicated that some 20,600 boxes were sent with products from the government program Local Committee for Supply and Production (CLAP) to the Colombian municipality of Cucuta.

The Bolivarian government is aiming to help the families in that municipality that live in extreme poverty and have not had any response from the Colombian government, said Medina.

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