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Venezuela ‘attack’ brings denials from US, Colombia; support from allies
PARIS, Aug 6, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has
pointed the finger at Colombia following the alleged assassination attempt on
him during a military parade in Caracas at the weekend.
Early investigations, according to Maduro, also point to financial backers
who live in the US state of Florida.
Meanwhile the Colombian government has put the blame at the door of “the
ultra-right wing” — its term for the opposition.
Here is some of the reaction from countries around the world to Saturday’s
incident:
– United States –
Washington on Sunday denied any involvement in the alleged “assassination”
attempt.
President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton insisted
there was “no US government involvement” and even suggested that the incident
may have been “a pretext set up by the regime itself”.
While denying any US role, he said that if Venezuela had “hard information”
of a potential violation of US law, “we will take a serious look at it”.
Trump has been harshly critical of Maduro’s leftist regime, saying it has
“destroyed a prosperous nation by imposing a failed ideology”.
Last August, Trump alarmed Caracas by saying publicly that he could not
rule out a “military option” to quell the chaos there.
– Colombia –
Colombia also rejected Maduro’s “absurd” accusation of involvement.
“It is absurd and unfounded to say that the Colombian President (Juan
Manuel Santos) is responsible for the supposed assassination attempt on the
Venezuelan president,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“As usual, the Venezuelan president accuses Colombia for everything that
happens. We demand respect for President Juan Manuel Santos, for the
Government and for the Colombian people.”
MORE/MR/ 1136 hrs
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The alleged assassination attempt came days after the Santos told AFP that
Maduro’s days are numbered and “that regime has to fall”.
– Russia –
Russia’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned the “assassination attempt”
on its ally Maduro.
“We consider using terrorist methods as a tool for political struggles to
be categorically unacceptable,” the statement said, adding “it is obvious
that such actions are aimed at destabilising the situation in the country.”
Moscow sided with Maduro’s regime after his government faced international
isolation when close to 130 people were killed in anti-regime protests last
year.
– Nicaragua –
Nicaragua’s Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said the “assassination
attempt” against Nicolas Maduro undermined the “democratic, progressive and
revolutionary” governments of Latin America and the Caribbean.
President Daniel Ortega’s office said the attack was the work of “obscure
forces on the right, full of hate, trying to destroy the libertarian
framework”.
– Cuba –
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and his predecessor Raul Castro
“strongly condemn the attempted attack against President Nicolas Maduro”, the
Cuban foreign ministry said on its Twitter account.
Both leaders expressed their “full solidarity and unconditional support
for President Maduro,” it said.
– Iran –
Tehran decried “a step towards causing instability and insecurity in
Venezuela”.
This can only benefit “the enemies of the people and of the government of
that country,” said Bahram Ghasemi, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman.
– Syria –
Syria called for “respect of the country’s sovereignty and no interference
in its internal affairs”.
The foreign ministry in Damascus condemned “in the strongest possible
terms the assassination attempt… which aimed at undermining the security
and stability of the country.”
– Europe –
Spain’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned “all kinds of violence used
for political ends” and called for a peaceful, democratic resolution to the
“serious crisis” in Venezuela.
Germany said it was “closely following developments on the ground”, while
Portugal opined that the crisis in Venezuela could be overcome by “dialogue
and national consensus” in line with “democratic principles”.
Last year, the European Union hit the Venezuelan vice-president and 10
other officials with sanctions over rights abuses and irregularities in the
re-election of Maduro, which the bloc condemned as “neither free nor fair”.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1136 hrs