THE UNITED NATIONS, January 26. /TASS/. Russia firmly condemns attempts to push Venezuela into an abyss of a deadly civil war, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said at a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Venezuela on Saturday.
"We vehemently condemn those who are pushing Venezuelan society into an abyss of a deadly strife," he said. "The United States is depicting a picture of confrontation between ‘Maduro’s regime’ and the Venezuelans. The picture is far from being true, as Venezuela’s leader enjoys evident support among the people."
In this context, the diplomat referred to a sociological survey conducted by an agency close to the opposition in October 2018. The data said that "the National Assembly, which leader was presented by Washington as president, is not supported by about 70% of the Venezuelans," Nebenzia said.
Saturday’s meeting of the UN Security Council was "convened by the American delegation with the only goal to keep destabilizing the situation in Venezuela by imposing own attitudes and solutions to the problems it [Caracas] has faced recently," the diplomat said.
"The meeting we all have to attend is another part of the US strategy to change power in Venezuela," he stressed. "We regret that the Security Council is being dragged into those unscrupulous games."
Venezuela crisis
On January 23, Venezuelan parliament speaker and opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president at a rally in the country’s capital of Caracas. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in turn, blasted the move as a coup staged by Washington and said he was severing diplomatic ties with the US.
Several countries, including the Lima Group (excluding Mexico), the United States, Albania, Georgia, Switzerland and the Organization of American States, have recognized him.
Russia, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, Salvador and Turkey voiced support for Maduro, while China and Belarus called for resolving all differences peacefully and warned against foreign interference. The United Nations secretary general, in turn, called for dialogue to resolve the crisis.