We were appalled by the reports on an attempt by a group of mercenaries to land on Venezuelan territory to perpetrate terror attacks against the representatives of this country’s legitimate government and its leaders. The terrorists, among whom, according to law enforcement agencies, there were people linked to foreign secret services (US services, to be more precise) were neutralised on time.
The masterminds of this operation did nothing to conceal their undertaking, giving a detailed account of it to journalists. An article on these developments appeared on May 3 in The New York Times, which is known to have little sympathy for the current Venezuelan government.
The actions by these mercenaries have to be condemned in an unconditional and resolute manner, especially now that all countries, including Venezuela, face the global and merciless threat of the coronavirus pandemic that requires everyone to work together. Only those who are indifferent to the fate of the people of Venezuela and the future of this country can ignore this challenge.
It is no longer surprising that some countries are unable to have a clear-eyed perspective on the new global landscape due to their political narrow-mindedness, obsession with removing the legitimate president of Venezuela from power and the “all options on the table” approach. Therefore, Washington’s statement claiming that the US Government was not involved in the developments that unfolded in Venezuela over the past several days, is unconvincing.
Russia has clearly stated its position according to which using force to resolve political differences is unacceptable. We need direct dialogue between the people of Venezuela who have to take ownership of their destiny and reach an agreement. What Venezuela needs right now is solidarity, trust and dialogue. We support the proposal by President Nicolas Maduro to have all the political forces in Venezuela, including those siding with Juan Guaido, conclude a “far-reaching humanitarian agreement” for the sake of “health and peace.” The country’s leader called for “action to be taken to help the people of Venezuela fight the coronavirus pandemic.” We support this call, and have no doubt that all patriotic Venezuelans understand and identify with it.
We remain committed to doing everything to ensure that the people of Venezuela can resolve the problems they are facing by peaceful means, through an inclusive national dialogue, free from pressure, ultimatums or sanctions. Of course, there is no place for mercenaries sent from abroad onto Venezuelan soil.