Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
VENEZUELA’S Ambassador covering Zimbabwe and Namibia, Dr Magaly Henríquez González, has expressed her “strongest and most resolute condemnation” of the statements made by US President Donald Trump, in which he said the airspace around Venezuela should be considered “closed.”
In a statement today, Dr González said President Trump’s statements “constitute an openly colonialist threat against the sovereignty of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and represent a flagrant violation of international law and of the fundamental principles that govern peaceful coexistence among States”.
“Far from being an isolated incident, this announcement forms part of the well-known policy of aggression and harassment that characterises Washington’s imperial conduct toward the free and sovereign peoples of Latin America.
“With this new act of intimidation, the US government once again reveals its intention to impose its will on our region, disregarding the inalienable principle of the self-determination of peoples,” she said.
Dr González said Venezuela categorically rejects the provocations and reaffirms its unwavering resolve to “defend its independence, dignity, and project of peace in the face of any form of foreign interference”.
She added that since August, President Trump has been carrying out a sustained campaign of harassment and threats against Venezuela, placing regional and international peace, security, and stability at serious risk.
“During this period, unilateral coercive measures, diplomatic pressure on third countries, and intimidatory actions have intensified, accompanied by overtly hostile statements.
“As part of this campaign, the Venezuelan government reports that the United States has deployed various military assets in the Caribbean region, including more than 14 warships and approximately 15 000 troops.
“It further denounces that US authorities have allegedly carried out more than 20 bombings against small vessels, which —according to this denunciation— may have resulted in the extrajudicial killing of more than 80 people,” said Dr González.
Venezuela maintains that the US’s actions constitute a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations and other fundamental instruments of international law.
On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro repeated calls for peace and pledged “absolute loyalty” to his people.
He was speaking at a rally attended by thousands of people in Caracas, as tensions escalate over potential military action by the United States.
The rally came as President Trump met his national security team at the White House to discuss the “next steps” on Venezuela, according to media reports.
Addressing a crowd waving Venezuelan flags outside the Miraflores Palace, President Maduro said his country wanted peace, but only a peace “with sovereignty, equality and freedom”.
“We do not want a slave’s peace, nor the peace of colonies! Colony, never! Slaves, never!” he said.
