CARACAS, January 4. /TASS/. The situation in the Venezuelan capital city is calm and is controlled by the authorities, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov told TASS.
"The situation in Caracas is calm and is fully controlled by the authorities. However, there are very few people in the streets, which is untypical of a weekend. Obviously, this is explained not only by the shock from the nighttime aggression people are still in, but also by their attention to the alarming news," he said, adding that the Russian embassy and other Russian missions in that country have not been damaged during the attack.
"There are no Russian nationals among those killed or injured. We continue monitoring the situation," he noted. "The embassy is working round-the-clock and maintains contacts with Moscow, the government and law enforcement agencies that are operating in a coordinated manner. Security measures have been enhanced."
According to the Russian diplomat, the embassy has been receiving numerous calls from Russian citizens staying in Venezuela and from their relatives. "We call on people not to yield to panic, refrain from visiting crowded places, as well as from being near military, energy, and communications facilities that might be targeted in the event of further attacks," he said. "The night attack proved that the Americans know exactly where to hit and want to prevent heavy casualties among civilians."
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said on January 3 that the United States had attacked civilian and military facilities in Caracas. He condemned Washington’s actions as a military aggression. A state of emergency has been imposed in Venezuela. US President Donald Trump has confirmed the attack on Venezuela. According to the US leader, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been captures and taken out of the country.
The Russian foreign ministry expressed profound concern over the United States’ aggression against Venezuela and strongly condemned it. In this situation, it is essential above all to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a solution through dialogue." The ministry demanded the US immediately release Maduro and his wife.