MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. Russian companies are being openly forced out of Venezuela following the US operation in the country, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"And right now, following the events in Venezuela, our companies are being openly forced out of Venezuela," he said in an interview with RT ahead of Diplomats Day.
On January 3, US President Donald Trump announced a military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by American forces. On January 5, the couple appeared before the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York, where they face charges of alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Both have pleaded not guilty. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on January 6. Meanwhile, Trump has said that Washington would "run" Venezuela in the interim.