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Guaido claims he will manage to protect Russia’s investments in Venezuela

The opposition leader stressed that the change of power in Venezuela would be advantageous both for Russia and China

CARACAS, February 5. /TASS/. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido claims that only the new government will be able to ensure security of Russian investments in Venezuela.

"Currently, the government of Maduro cannot guarantee anything to anyone, especially in the country with the inflation at 2 mln percent," Guaido said on Tuesday responding to a question of a TASS correspondent. He was asked what would happen to the contracts of Russian state oil company Rosneft in Venezuela, if he comes to power.

Guaido stressed that the change of power in Venezuela would be advantageous both for Russia and China.

"Only the new government will bring stability, so that they could return their investments they made in our country. It can guarantee that they will be able not only to return what they invested but also to raise income," Guaido said.

Political upheaval rocks Venezuela

Juan Guaido, Venezuelan opposition leader and parliament speaker, whose appointment to that position had been cancelled by the country’s Supreme Court, declared himself interim president at a rally in the country’s capital of Caracas on January 23. Several countries, including the United States, Lima Group members (excluding Mexico), Australia, Albania, Georgia and Israel, as well as the Organization of American States, recognized him as president. Maduro, in turn, blasted the move as a coup staged by Washington and said he was severing diplomatic ties with the US.

Meanwhile, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands said that they would recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president unless Maduro called elections by February 3.

In contrast, Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Turkey voiced support for Maduro, while China 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.