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Tuesday, February 05, 2019, 15:54
Venezuela slams EU for backing US, Russia echoes stance
By ​Xinhua
Tuesday, February 05, 2019, 15:54 By ​Xinhua


This combination of pictures created on Feb 4, 2019 shows Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido (left) smiling during a gathering with supporters in Caracas on Feb 2, 2019 and another of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivering a speech during the ceremony of recognition by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) at the Fuerte Tiuna Military Complex in Caracas on Jan 10, 2019. Opposition figurehead Juan Guaido, 35, is vying to lure military commanders to switch their allegiance to him away from President Nicolas Maduro, 56. (PHOTO / AFP)

CARACAS/MOSCOW - Venezuela's foreign ministry rejected on Monday several European countries' decision to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president even as Russia shot down European Union proposals and condemned US threats to invade the Latin American country.

"The degree of subordination" the European countries are showing to Washington "is alarming," Venezuela's foreign ministry said

Those countries "are officially adopting the strategy of the US administration to overthrow the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro," the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Such a decision "is in open violation of the principles and practices that govern diplomatic ties, setting a dangerous precedent for peaceful coexistence between nations," said the ministry in the statement.

Venezuela said it will review its bilateral ties with those countries until there is a "rectification that discards their support for the coup plans."

"The degree of subordination" the European countries are showing to Washington "is alarming," the ministry said.

It warned that Washington's backing of the opposition leader threatens "the peace and stability of the entire region."Germany, Spain, France, Britain and Sweden are among the European countries that decided Monday to endorse Guaido and his call for a new round of presidential race in the country. 

The countries had earlier given Maduro an "ultimatum" to call for elections. 

Political tensions in Venezuela between the ruling socialist party and Washington-backed conservative opposition groups came to a head after Maduro was sworn in to a new term on Jan. 10. 

The opposition, which largely boycotted the presidential elections in May, refuses to recognize Maduro's reelection win.
On Monday, Maduro appealed to the "independent governments of the world" to reject the US-backed efforts to oust him from power.
Earlier, Trump told media "all options are on the table" regarding Venezuela.

Russia slams EU, US
Russia supports a settlement plan for Venezuela, proposed by Uruguay and Mexico, but does not accept proposals by the European Union and condemns US threats to invade the Latin American country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out that while the EU proposed a contact group, Russia, China & the US had not been invited to join it 

"We will uphold international law and support the initiatives taken by individual Latin American countries, in particular, Mexico and Uruguay," Lavrov spoke to students at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University in Kyrgyzstan's capital of Bishkek. 

READ MORE: Key European nations recognize Guaido as Venezuelan leader
"They are aimed at creating the conditions for a national dialogue with the participation of all political forces in Venezuela," he said, according to an official transcript on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.
Unfortunately, Europe is imposing a slightly different configuration of international mediation, Lavrov said.
According to him, the European Union has proposed to create a contact group made of eight of its members and a comparable number of Latin American countries, but Russia, China and the United States have not been invited to join it.
Lavrov noted that the EU proposed to include in the group countries which eight days ago demanded that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announce presidential election by Monday. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks about his department's 2018 accomplishments during his annual roundup news conference in Moscow, Russia, Jan 16, 2019. (PAVEL GOLOVKIN / AP)

This means that on Monday these mediators will have to recognize Maduro's opponent Juan Guaido as a new legitimate acting president, Lavrov said.
"This is no way to mediate. This is called an ultimatum and not an attempt to find a common denominator," he said.
ALSO READ: Outside forces must not meddle in Venezuela's internal affairs

The opposition led by Guaido refuses to begin a dialogue, ultimately demanding the departure of Maduro and the transfer of power to opposition forces, he said, adding that this is not a dialogue, but imposing one's unilateral will.
"The fact that this is being done with direct indulgence from Washington, and now also Europe, exposes those alleged values in international politics that our Western colleagues profess," Lavrov said.     


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