Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a US push for the UN Security Council to call for free and fair presidential elections in Venezuela and unhindered aid access.
The US draft resolution garnered the minimum nine votes, forcing Russia and China to cast vetoes. South Africa also voted against the text, while Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast abstained.
Russia and the US have been at loggerheads over a US-led campaign for international recognition of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and head of the country’s elected National Assembly, over Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro.
Photo: AFP
Guaido last month declared himself the interim head of state.
“We are seriously concerned about the fact that today’s meeting may be exploited as a step for preparations of a real, not humanitarian, intervention ... as a result of the alleged inability of the Security Council to resolve the situation in Venezuela,” Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said.
US President Donald Trump has said that all options are on the table in dealing with Venezuela, although US Special Envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams has denied Russian accusations that Washington is preparing to intervene militarily.
Ahead of the UN Security Council vote on Thursday, French Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre, in support of the US-drafted resolution, said it “does not represent a legal basis for a use of force, nor an attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Venezuela.”
The US and dozens of other nations have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate president, but Maduro still controls the military, state institutions and oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), which provides 90 percent of the country’s export revenue.
“The Venezuelan affairs should be decided by the Venezuelan people,” Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the UN Wu Haitao (吳海濤) said.
The US on Monday targeted Venezuela’s government with new sanctions and called on allies to freeze the assets of PDVSA after deadly violence blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the country over the weekend.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is still working on plans to have humanitarian aid delivered to Venezuela.
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