Venezuelan ambassador to Iran: Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty ‘non-negotiable’
Tehran - BORNA - José Rafael Silva Aponte made the remarks in a recent interview with Iran's Spanish-language news channel, Hispan TV, after the US military carried out illegal strikes on oil-rich Venezuela, and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence in the capital, Caracas.The ambassador said that the US aggression against Venezuela threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
He further noted that the time has come for Venezuela to stand against the United States, which he described as the most violent, genocidal, and corrupt empire in today’s history.
“Venezuela’s dignity, peace, independence, and sovereignty are non‑negotiable and shall never be subject to compromise,” he added, calling on the international community, including movements, governments, and organizations, to take a clear stance on the US military attack and condemn it.
The US forces took Maduro and his wife to a detention center in New York, where they are expected to stand trial for alleged drug trafficking-related charges.
US President Donald Trump said Washington will "run" Venezuela for now and tap its oil reserves. He also warned Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, that the US might take fresh military action if she does not accommodate Washington’s demands.
Many politicians across the world denounced the US aggression against Venezuela as a clear violation of international law and the principles of the UN Charter.
Blasting the US for using force against a sovereign country and abducting its president, they also said that the unlawful attack was not aimed at combating drug trafficking but exploiting Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Aponte said that the Americans sought regime change to serve the interests of Venezuela’s corrupt oligarchy and Washington.
He further emphasized that the Venezuelans remain united in defending their own land and preserving it for future generations.
The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday to discuss the US aggression against Venezuela.
“This is a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government, freely chosen by our people, and at imposing a puppet government that allows the plundering of our natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves,” Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada said.
The attack on Venezuela followed a months-long US pressure campaign on Venezuela, comprising the buildup of forces in South America, lethal strikes on suspected drug boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, the seizure of oil tankers going in and out of the country, as well as threats against Maduro.
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