Russia declares solidarity with Venezuela

Moscow has welcomed the appointment of Delcy Rodriguez as interim president after Nicolas Maduro was abducted by American commandos

Russia stands in solidarity with its long-time ally Venezuela “in the face of blatant neo-colonial threats and external armed aggression,” the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has said days after US forces abducted President Nicolas Maduro.

Delcy Rodriguez, formerly Venezuela’s vice president, was sworn in on Monday as the country’s interim president.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the move as a demonstration of Caracas’ determination to “assure unity” and “mitigate the risks of a constitutional crisis.” Moscow reaffirmed its “unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and Government.”

Russia stands ready to provide all necessary support to Venezuela, the ministry reiterated.

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“We firmly insist that Venezuela should have the guaranteed right to determine its destiny on its own, without any destructive interference from the outside,” the ministry stated, adding that Latin America and the Caribbean “must remain a zone of peace.”

On Saturday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Rodriguez, who had served as vice president since 2018, to assume the role of interim president.

In a statement shortly after the abduction of Maduro by US forces, she proclaimed that Venezuela “will never return to being the colony of another empire.” Later, Rodriguez expressed a willingness to work with the US as long as bilateral relations were “balanced and respectful.”

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US President Donald Trump threatened Rodriguez on Sunday, saying that she would pay a “bigger price” than her recently captured predecessor “if she doesn’t do what’s right.”

Addressing an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Monday, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia described Washington’s actions in Venezuela as “international banditry” driven by a desire to gain “unlimited control over natural resources.”

Moscow earlier called for Maduro’s immediate release from US custody.

China, along with several other BRICS and Global South nations, has similarly condemned the US actions in Venezuela.

The US military attacked the oil-rich South American country last Saturday, abducting Maduro and his wife. The couple was then whisked off to a US warship and subsequently flown to New York. They appeared in court on Monday on charges of drug-trafficking conspiracy, to which both pleaded not guilty.