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Venezuelans should decide their president’s fate — Putin

Vladimir Putin has warned against external interference in Venezuela’s affairs

MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against external interference in Venezuela’s affairs, comparing such actions with those of an elephant in a china shop.

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Lavrov opposes new US sanctions against Venezuela

"The Venezuelans, but not whoever else in the world, should decide this [the Venezuelan president’s fate]," Putin said on Wednesday at a plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.

"One should not get in there like an elephant in a china shop and trample without realizing what is really going on, but just thinking that the elephant is the largest and the cleverest animal," he said citing a famous Russian fable.

"As for various tools of influence on the situation in Venezuela, they should not bring about a deterioration for the civilian population. It is a principal issue," the Russian leader is convinced.

"Are we happy that the people are experiencing hardships there? Do we want to make it worse in order to topple President [Nicolas] Maduro? An act of terror was committed against him, an assassination attempt. Will we approve of such forms of political fight?" he asked.

In his opinion, this should not happen.

"People in that country should be allowed to deal with their own fate, whereas nothing must be imposed from outside," the Russian president said adding "We should watch, while the people should be given a chance to untangle this by themselves."

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