Two days after the United States attacked Venezuela and captured its president along with his wife Cilia Flores, two of the country’s closest allies, China and Iran, have called on Washington to free Nicolas Maduro.
China said it is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, with its foreign ministry calling the US actions “a clear violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations”.
Beijing urged the US to “cease efforts to subvert the Venezuelan government and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation”.
China had earlier also, over the weekend, denounced the US actions in Venezuela.
‘Ready to expand operations beyond Venezuela, if required’: Trump threatens Cuba, Colombia, Mexico
Iran, meanwhile, called the removal of Maduro, along with his wife, from the country a “kidnapping”.
News agency AFP quoted foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei as saying: “It’s nothing to be proud of; it’s an illegal act. As the Venezuelan people have emphasised, their president must be released.”
It may be noted that US President Donald Trump, who authorised the action in Venezuela, has also threatened Iran, saying he would be forced to intervene if the regime kills people who are protesting peacefully there. Iran has reported several deaths amid the ongoing protests.
Rubio lists Trump’s options
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that President Trump retains the option to occupy Venezuela.
Rubio told the ‘Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan’ that President Trump “always retains optionality on anything and on all of these matters”, when asked if Washington had plans to occupy Venezuela.
“He certainly has the ability and the right under the Constitution of the United States to act against imminent and urgent threats against the country,” Rubio said on the show.
Trump had earlier said that he is “not afraid” to have (American military) “boots on the ground” in Venezuela.
Rubio said the status in Venezuela currently “is an oil quarantine that allows us to exert tremendous leverage over what happens next”.
It may be noted that Venezuela has the biggest crude oil reserves in the world, with Trump stating in his press conference post Maduro’s capture that the US will run Venezuela until a safe transition can happen and that US oil companies would go into Venezuela and invest billions to revive oil production there.
“The key to what that regime relies on is their economy fueled by oil,” Rubio said. “None of the money from the money from the oil gets to the people, it’s all stolen by the people that are on the top there. And so that’s why we have a quarantine,” he added.